Santa's Claw
by SCE2AUX
Summary: Bernard and Santa examine their naughty and nice list and notice a disturbing upswing in the number of naughty children. They realize that desperate measures are needed to save these endangered kids. But after nearly 1,500 years, is Krampus up to the job?
1. Chapter 1 - A Disturbing Trend

"Bernard, we have the new numbers this month," said Judy, a resigned expression in her comely face. Bernard took the datapad; it only took a short glance to confirm what he feared.

"What is the matter with people nowadays, Judy? Do you ever remember seeing a trend like this? It's bad enough that the ratio of naughty to nice has slipped into negative territory, but so many kids have slipped from naughty into downright wicked."

"No, you're right. And that's accounting for things like war and natural disasters where we tend to give them even more benefit of the doubt. Like you said, some of these kids are flirting with outright evil. We've, we have to tell Scott about this before it's too late."

"Santa," corrected Bernard.

Judy smiled. "Every so often he likes hearing the name he was born with, Bernard. Shall I show him this? No, you'll do it? Okay."

* * *

"How long has it been trending like this, Bernie?"

"It's been going on for six or seven years at the very least, Santa."

"Are we doing anything wrong that you can tell? I know I've been asked to drop a lot more carbon in recent years, I'd hoped that might be enough of a message."

"Right, that was how it would usually work: Naughty Dick and Jane get a lump of coal in their stockings, they cry, they feel guilty, they improve, problem solved. But we've been seeing a lot more recidivism. I mean a lot more. We're talking a twenty to thirty percent increase over last year alone."

"Are we doing anything wrong that you can tell," repeated Scott. Bernard rested his chin on steepled fingers.

"When...you first came in Scott...twenty-two years ago...I thought you might be a disaster. And yeah, we did have some hiccups." He looked up with a warm smile at the snow wafting down on the crystal roof. "Charlie on the naughty list...the fight with Jack...but hey, at least you got a lovely wife out of the deal..." He looked at Santa seriously. "But, Scott Calvin, you have been one of the best Santa Claus's I've had the pleasure to work with over my many many years. So no, I don't think we're doing anything wrong..."

"But..." continued Santa.

"But I don't think we are making full use of our capabilities. Are you familiar with the Krampus?"

Santa nodded. "He's more of an independent agent, isn't he? Sure we are both active around Christmas, but he doesn't answer to me, right?"

Bernard thought, drumming (bar-um-pum-pum-pum) his fingers on the table. "If Santa Claus is the Navy guess you could say he's like the Marines or the Coast Guard. Krampus is independent, but in time of need, you can direct him if you so desire."

Santa scanned the datapad presented. "Do you think maybe Krampus has been slacking off over the past few years?"

Bernard stood up, and grabbed his winter coat, motioning to his boss. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

* * *

Krampus lived in the vicinity of the North Pole, but the _Eisenhochburg_ was still a few hours away by foot, a sleigh made it much quicker.

"Not a very welcoming place is it," asked Scott as he looked at the foreboding iron keep.

"No, it is not" agreed Bernard, "but it performs a necessary function. Or at least its master should be performing one."

Santa Claus lifted the heavy knocker and let it fall. A solid clang echoed both in Santa's ears and for miles around. They waited.

"This might take a while," said Bernard. And he was right; it was minutes before they heard a loud thud, then a shuffle, then another thud echoing on metal."

Then the most guttural voice Santa had ever heard spoke: _**"Wer klopft !? Wer wagt sich diesem Ort zu nähern?"**_

"German?" whispered Scott. Bernard nodded and answered the voice: "Es ist Bernard der Elf und der Weihnachtsmann!"

"…Bernard? Santa!?" The iron door opened with an echoing screech, and Santa Claus, not wanting to cause offense, made every effort to not show his horror at the creature before him.

Thick curved horns a foot and a half long. A wild mane of shaggy grizzled fur on its head with a widow's peak pointing to demonic red eyes. Only the furred nose looked marginally human and below that was a broad mouth filled with sharp fangs, a long red tongue lolling out of it. Its obviously muscular body was covered with the same shaggy fur as the head. The legs were those of a beast, digitrade, with one foot a cloven hoof and the other a clawed paw of a carnivore.

"Velcome!" said Krampus. His voice was guttural and German-accented. "Come in! Come in!"

Santa's eyes widened as he entered the iron keep. Though cold, it was well lighted from torches and braziers, and the floor was covered by a layer of rugs and carpets from all over the world. Krampus brought them into his parlor, with an ancient overstuffed chair and two sofas placed around a large fireplace. He sat, being careful to ensure that his furred, pointed tail slid through the opening.

"Sit, sit!" he demanded and the elf and Santa took seats on the sofa. Krampus grabbed a two-foot long bell and shook it three times. "Kafe? Kocoa? Kookiez?"

"Coffee for me, please."

"I'll have cocoa," said Bernard.

Krampus chuckled, grunting his approval. "A fine choice, yes, my 'children' do both very well." He looked over his two guests. "Bernard, dear friend, it is good to see you again." Bernard smiled. "And you are Scott Calvin, heh, the new Santa Claus. Eh, baht you have held ze office for over two decades. I am…happy to finally meet you."

"I am sorry," said Santa. "I feel I should have met you sooner."

"Ach! No need to apologize. I am no fool." He ran his clawed paws over his grey-furred body; curiosity mixed with disgust, and sighed. "Nearly fifteen hundred years I have lived in this form," he said slowly. "I know it is horrifying to most souls. Look, a mouth like this, what else would it be?" He leaned forward. But it is necessary to do my job…to save souls."

"M-master Krampus?"

"Ah yes, our treats are here! _Komm her_ , Leo! Meet our guests, _ja_?

A wide-eyed child of about eight came bringing a tray of drinks, cookies and small sandwiches. Scott took his coffee, Bernard his cocoa, and Krampus took a mug of what appeared to be hot tea. Krampus motioned to an empty chair.

"Sit down, Leo, sit down." The boy's eyes widened and a small smile quickly flashed across his face. He sat down.

"Leo Aubertin…" said Krampus. "Introduce yourself, boy!"

"My name is Leo Aubertin. I am eight years old and am from the town of Nyons in France." As if by magic, for magic it was, Leo's file flashed through Santa's mind. He was indeed, or at least he had been a naughty boy. No worse, he had been mean and cruel as cats and dogs and younger children would have surely testified.

"Leo was taken on Krampusnacht 2014. He was cruel, so yes, I gave him cruelty in return. Do you remember those months, little one?"

Leo swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Master Krampus."

"I collect the souls on Krampusnacht, the fifth of December. Those who have learned their lesson, I return on Boxing Day. Leo, heh, he could be a handful, but he still learned.

Santa took a long sip of coffee. "What kind of cruelty are we talking about?"

Krampus nodded to the boy. "Leo?"

"I was kept in a cold cell. I was beaten several times with Master's birch. I was made to work. But I was never really injured. After a few months I began to regret my disobedience and he began to teach me lessons."

"Lessons?" Santa asked.

Leo shrugged. "I knew very little English…or German…when I came here. I am quite competent now, Père Noël!"

Santa Claus laughed, giving the boy a hug and tousling his black hair. "Very good, Leo. Very good!"

Krampus laughed a barking howl himself. "Very good indeed, Leo. You may return to your duties." The boy bowed and departed, and Krampus sipped his tea.

"I do not know what Leo's future may hold for him. But he has learned discipline and he has learned practical skills. When he wakes the day after Christmas, he will remember nothing of the pain he suffered…but he will remember the lesson. We work for the betterment of mankind, ja?" Scott and Bernard nodded their agreement. "So, my friends, what else may I do for you?"

Scott withdrew the datapad. "Master Krampus, we have been noticing a disturbing trend for almost a decade now." He handed it to Krampus. "What do you make of these numbers?"

Krampus looked over the pad carefully, squinting, and then…growling.

"These numbers are unacceptable!" he said with a snarl. You have given out much coal, yes!?"

"Yes, quite a lot."

"Well, too much, I say! Santa Claus, these boys and girls, these lower thirty percent at least, right now they are heading for an eternity of being kindling in Hell! They need to be referred to me!" Krampus' shoulders sagged. "At least, heh, at least that is what I would have told you a hundred years ago."

Santa was taken aback. "Why not now?"

Krampus shook his shaggy head. "I am old, Santa, I had meant to forfeit this office some time ago, and now I think the time has come." He raised a paw. "Yet I think I have one more Krampusnacht in me. One…big one! And then I am done forever at last. May I ask you for that, Scott Calvin?"

Scott was stunned. "Um. I don't know. Bernard, can he do that?"

Bernard took a deep breath. "Krampus is obligated to serve for five hundred years. Santa, he has more than fulfilled that obligation. Yes, Santa, you may accept his resignation."

Santa nodded, smiling. "So be it, then. December 6th, 2016 will be your final day as Krampus. Bernard, can we give our friend the retirement party he deserves?"

Bernard nodded enthusiastically. "We are ahead of schedule, Santa. I'll start the planning as soon as we return."

Krampus sighed in relief. "To once again see the face of Ernst Müller, heh, I wonder how it will look." He stretched and shrugged. "And I wonder who will replace me."


	2. Chapter 2 - The Debate Team

The two guests stood to leave, but then Santa noticed a concerned look in Bernard's eyes. He snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot," he said. "Besides Leo, how many children do you have as servants?"

"I have two servants. Leo and a girl from South Africa named Chloe Vannatter. I also have fifteen prisoners in the cells below. I will have to take a look at your list to determine how many new children I shall take on Krampusnacht, but all prisoners need to be released on Boxing Day. It is not ideal, but three weeks will be sufficient to get at least a partial lesson across. If not, then I suspect my successor will administer a lesson next year."

Bernard and Santa shared a look. "And how is your successor to be chosen."

Krampus laughed loudly at this. "How were you chose, Santa Claus? I must confess that I do not know the actual process." He stood now, and looked slowly from the left, and then to the right.

"Personally, I would try Craigslist."

* * *

 _A few hours earlier._

Interstate 5 between Carlisle and Lancaster Pennsylvania.

November 23rd, 2016

George Piekov was ready to move on from where he was. A few years over forty, he had been teaching history at Mount Calvary High School for twelve years now and dreamed of going on to something bigger and better. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied, far from it, after graduating from Penn State with no significant offers, he went on to get a master's in education, with a focus on history and social studies, and was quickly hired by a Pittsburgh middle school. It didn't take him long to realize that teaching middle school was a brutal way to earn a living. He stuck it out for three years, got some experience, and then went back across the state near Lancaster, a small town called Elizabethtown where he was hired by a small Christian preparatory high school.

It didn't pay much at all, but the students were respectful and pleasant, being teenagers, they were quite spirited just the same, but there were never any situations where he felt uncomfortable. Besides teaching history, George wore a few other hats, coaching both baseball and debate.

It was the latter responsibility that had him driving back to Elizabethtown from Carlisle. It had been a close match, but his six charges managed to secure another victory. After the debate, they piled into the minibus…and resumed debating…

"Really Sarah, you actually thought that line of questioning was going to win you points against someone like Patel?" Sarah Taylor was half Indian herself with medium brown hair and beige skin. She regarded her accuser Tre' Richards with something approaching mild shock.

"I studied Marco's previous debate in Gettysburg, Tre'. He fell right into the trap last year."

"Right. Last year. Last year. He learned from his mistake. It probably gave his ego a _yuuuge_ boost when you tried it this time around. I'm just saying you can't depend on it how knowledgeable you are with the facts is what makes the difference."

George smiled at the exchange. Sarah was a top class debater, and Tre' had been nipping at her heels for the past two years, coming close, but not quite getting there. But while Tre' could be assured of support from his family or, failing that, a surfeit of scholarships from both academic and athletic sources, Sarah's potential was on shaky ground. She needed surer financial support.

"Hey, c'mon now Tre', ease up," said the unofficial leader of the Mount Calvary High Debate Team, a powerful-looking young man by the name of Greg Phillips. Greg looked like he would be better suited for crushing quarterbacks on Friday nights than he would in more intellectual endeavors. The truth was that he excelled at both. "So she made a minor mistake. Big freakin' deal. Nati pulled it out."

Natalia Moretti smiled at the compliment and snuggled against her boyfriend, a rather awkward maneuver from a bucket seat half a foot away. Natalia was a feisty seventeen-year old from South Philly. She had moved with her family to Lancaster County a little over a year ago…and had shot straight to the top of the principal's honor roll. The talk among the teachers, only slightly joking, was that Greg and Natalia would be the first to tie the knot, the only question was in what college or university town the knot would be tied.

"Mister Piekov, as coach of our little squad, do you have any comments on the preceding discussion?"

George chuckled. "We won, and that's all I'll say about it for now. Why, do you have any contribution to make, Mr. Keller?"

"Not particularly. I just meet the points as they come. But I am curious as to what you have in mind for the team next year. I was thinking that five of the six of us are going to be in college this time next year. I don't want Mary Lou left holding the bag."

Chris Keller did raise a good point. Except for Mary Lou Dobbins, everyone on the team was a senior. They really did need to get in some new blood.

"I noticed that too," said Mary Lou with a smirk. "Believe me when say I notice that too!"

Chris and Mary Lou Dobbins couldn't have been more different. He was the oldest, tallest, had black hair, and was the most outspoken. Mary Lou was petite, a junior, bespectacled, and blonde and only spoke when she had to make a definite point. However, when she did speak, there was evidence of brilliance.

"And I do have some people that might be interested in joining up; I'll give you their names, numbers and email addresses when you drop me off."

"Sounds good, Mary Lou," said George. The others remained silent, and George knew they thought that new members might pose a threat to them. "If the rest of you would think up some topics, maybe we could set up some trial debates for them." Hopefully that will distract them, thought George.

"I've got one," said Tre'. "Should the President's ability to commit troops to combat be restricted beyond the War Powers Act?"

"All right…sounds good. Write it down."

"Here's one," said Natalia. "America should recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…yes or no."

"Controversial…good."

"And I don't think anyone has had the fortitude to bring this one to the debate table," said Chris. "In regards to the question over bathroom tissue…over the top or under the roll?"

"Good Lord man…are you trying to start a war?"

"Christopher," said Mary Lou, pushing her silvery glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I know we don't want to shy away from controversy; but please bear in mind that these are just freshmen and sophomores. We don't want to scare them off with that great a dispute."

"Okay," said George. "Do we have any questions with somewhat less gravitas?"

"Seeing as we are approaching the season," suggested Mary Lou. "Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas. Does…the man…exist?"

Now, of course, the questions were getting a bit silly, but since they were going home to their Thanksgiving vacations, George saw no reason for stopping the banter. He listened to his team chat away about Christmas traditions and the truth behind the myths. Good gracious, they were smart, he thought, and having taught them all in one class or another a year or so before, he felt a certain pride in what his job could accomplish.

But still, George wanted more.

* * *

"Scott, what's wrong? My Santa Claus looks troubled."

Santa smiled and sighed, stretching out on the massive and ancient oak bed. "Bernard and I went to visit Krampus today."

"Hmmm." She turned on her side towards her husband. "You know I had heard the name before as a myth. But given all I've experienced I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the legend of the Krampus is true as well. What was he like?"

"He is…surprisingly gentle and well-mannered. Bernard actually thought he might have been getting soft. Just the same though, when I was talking with him, I could detect an awful lot of anger, no – not anger, but closer to rage within him. Like a dormant volcano that hasn't erupted in a long long time. Even discounting his appearance, and believe me, his countenance is enough is enough to shake the strongest souls, even ignoring his appearance there was the ever present sensation of danger." Scott swallowed and looked at his wife, eyes wide.

"Will you let him do his job?"

"With the rising tide of juvenile misbehavior, I'd be a fool not to. And here's the other thing. He is retiring. After Krampus night, that's December 5th, we are allowing him to retire and we'll be throwing a party in his honor. And Ernst, that's his birth name, God bless him, he said that he'll be happy to stay for a couple of days to meet his replacement."

Mrs. Claus raised her eyebrows? "And who will be his replacement?"

Scott spread his arms wide. "And that is what troubles me, Carol, that is what we need to find out."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_ : Thank you those who favorited and followed. Ella, your review was brilliant, and your advice is spot on, thank you very much – it's always been a problem of mine, with the quotation marks.**

 **I understand if you think this chapter is a little odd, it does have a purpose. I do want there to be an element of mystery.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Krampusnacht

"Santa and Mrs. Claus, it is good of you to come see us again," said Mother Nature in greeting. "I trust the holiday preparations are ahead of schedule as usual?"

"Aside from the normal _contretemps_ of a major operation, we expect to be ready for the night of the 24th on the 19th," answered Santa. "Although there is another matter to discuss."

Father Time and Mother Nature exchanged looks. "Go on, Santa," said the Master of Time.

"Ernst Müller has served with distinction for the past 1493 years. He had hoped to serve for an even fifteen hundred, but it looks as if the poor fellow has had enough of the office, despite his willingness. He has on his own accord tendered his resignation as the Krampus and we will be holding a celebration in his honor on the sixth of December. Of course you and the rest of the Council are invited to come join us."

"Of course we _will_ , Santa," said Father Time. After all it will be necessary for us to oversee the safe passing of the Birch Bundle to a proper ward."

"Birch Bundle?"

"The Birch Bundle," explained Mother Nature," is the symbol of the office of Krampus. It is, as you might surmise, a bundle of birch sticks and twigs, and Krampus typically uses birch rods to...let us say...smite the naughty."

"Ah."

"The birch will be placed in the care of Santa until it is time to select the new Krampus," declared Father Time.

Carol asked, "And how is the new Krampus to be chosen?"

Father Time's eyes dimmed a little. "I suspect your husband has already told you that he was more than a little resistant to the notion of filling the office of Santa Claus when he discovered that it was his responsibility to bear." He turned to Santa. "And yet you performed admirably over the past twenty-three years. You were effectively coerced into filling the position of a jolly old elf loved by all."

"Ernst is a great guy, but 'loved by all' isn't an adjective applicable to his office."

Father Time shook his head with a short laugh. "No indeed. Now we're seeking a replacement for your shadow - the Demon of Christmas. Very well. As it was with you, it shall be for Providence to decide: The Birch Bundle shall select its new Master. I hereby charge you, Scott Calvin - Santa Claus, with the responsibility of facilitating that selection."

Santa Claus bowed, "As you command, my friend."

* * *

Ruth tapped the dark English boy on the shoulder. "Would you like some more turkey, Tre'?"

"I think I will have another slice, Ruth, _danke_. And are you getting enough?"

The Amish girl's laugh was clear and lilting. "Oh yes! Rest assured an Amish breakfast and dinner provides us more than enough nourishment. But I thank you for asking." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and walked on.

"I enjoy listening to their speech," sayeth Sarah.

"Yeah," said Mary Lou. "It's not quite German, not quite American...or British English." Mary Lou turned to Sarah's mother, Shivali. "How did you find out about this picnic?"

Shivali answered in faintly-accented English. "One of my patients had come in for a bridge replacement. His daughter had married into the New Order Amish, and of course the word gets around."

"Of course," agreed Mary Lou, as she savored the taste of fresh cranberry sauce on her tongue. "The food is outstanding."

"Be sure to save some room for the pumpkin custard pie," teased Sarah.

"Are you kidding?" asked Tre'. "I skipped breakfast for a reason this morning."

"Mary Lou, are you sure you don't want to spend the night?" asked Shivali. "We'd hate to see you spend the holiday alone if you don't have to." Once again, Mary Lou's parents were out on a business trip.

"Oh, no thank you," she said while giving Tre's hand a squeeze. "I actually do have some things I need to do. But I should be available tomorrow."

"Okay," said Mrs. Taylor. "I understand, and the invitation is open then as well."

Mass was nearly at its end and Pastor Joseph was wrapping up.

"At the end of a particularly bloody battle in the waning months of the Civil War, the following prayer was found in the pocket of a Confederate soldier:

'I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;  
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.  
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;  
I was given infirmity, then I might do better things.  
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;  
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.  
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;  
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.  
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;  
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.  
I got nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.  
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.  
I am, among men, most richly blessed.'

Today is the day we call Thanksgiving. We ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth. May our days be marked with humility, simplicity, and integrity. Let us be thankful not only for the things we have but also for the things we no longer have to have. And let the people of God hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. Amen. Go in peace."

George stood up to leave, but then heard his name being called, a voice he recognized.

"Laura?"

A tall dark woman that he had seen a few times in the high school. Laura had started two years ago, but they had only exchanged words once or twice before.

"George, I had no idea that you were the churchgoing type. I hadn't seen you before."

He shrugged. "Normally, I'm not. But seeing as I had nothing else planned and it is Thanksgiving after all, it seemed appropriate."

"You've eaten already?"

"Stuffed. I was hoping to walk it off on the way home."

"What do you say we get some coffee, and I'll drive you home?

Dunkin' Donuts happened to be open on the holiday, and George soon realized that he and Laura had quite a lot in common. She had done well in chemistry in high school and college, but not well enough to go far in graduate school. She had been teaching chemistry primarily, but also assisted with mathematics and science.

"if you aren't doing anything Saturday night," she said. "I'd like you to call me."

* * *

The sled was iron, intricately carved with abstract images of what one must assume was the face of the Krampus.

Krampus steadied himself and let the magic take him. One more night of this, he thought. He moaned as his horns lengthened and were joined by two additional smaller pairs. His thick hide tingled as his fur thickened, curling and tangling both to ensure additional protection against the cold and make him look even more intimidating to his assignments. The four larger fangs each grew longer and thicker to resemble tusks. Manacles attached to a broken chain appeared on each wrist. He howled and boarded the sleigh.

" _Fliege!_ " he called out to the two reindeer. " _Fliege!_ "

Like a shot he launched up, gained altitude, and turned towards his first destination, the South Pacific. He didn't have any appointments there, but as it was his last Krampusnacht, he wanted to take full advantage of it.

New Zealand was another story. Nothing too severe, a few swats with the birch was enough in most cases, sometimes accompanied with a scolding. But sometimes, more was necessary.

Neal Lomax had a couple of run ins with the police that year, and there was no doubt that he was responsible. But the police had refused to press charges and his parents were modern, they seemed to think pleading for behavioral change was sufficient.

Neal was up playing _Grand Theft Auto_ , and with headphones on, he never even heard the Krampus.

Krampus grabbed him by the back of his collar so violently that his headphones flew off and his already loose jeans slipped down.

"HAST SCHOOL TOMORROW, NEIN?!"

The birch flew, Neal screamed

"THE POLICE ARE FORGIVING, BOY! I NEEDN'T BE!"

Another stroke, both the birch and the boy screamed. Krampus flipped the boy right side up. And this time, Krampus screamed.

"DIDST THOU THINK SINS ARE UNNOTICED? FEEL THE WRATH OF KRAMPUS!"

Again he flipped Neal upside down. Powerful muscles drove the birch, scourging the wailing boy.

When he finished, he brought Neal to eye level.

"A small taste of what you will find at the end of the road you have traveled up to now...SO CHANGE NOW YOUR WAYS!"

As it is agreed that as long as a person remains alive, there is always hope for salvation, the most grievous punishment had not been used in centuries, and Krampus never believed that to be his responsibility anyway. But he did believe in taking particularly wicked and cruel children into custody as necessary.

An American boy in a suburb of San Francisco made life torture for the smaller students in his neighborhood. Many dogs and cats bore cuts and bruises from rocks hurled from his right arm and garter snakes were often deliberately crushed under his feet. As Krampus wrenched open the boy's window, he let his rage guide him.

"WRECHED VILLAIN!" The birch stung the boy's head and shoulders.

"MONSTROUS BOY!" He delivered a solid punch to the stomach, and then reached around, pulling down the boy's trousers and landing a score of blows on his backside. He then yanked him up by the hair and slammed him against the wall.

"Do you know who I am, Peter?" he asked calmly.

The boy shook his head.

"I am the Shadow of Saint Nicholas...the Christmas Demon. I am the one known as Krampus, and I render punishments when a mere lump of coal is deemed inadequate. You, Peter Jamison, have been weighed in balance and found wanting. I hereby take your soul into custody until deemed sufficient. He opened his basket and hurled the boy inside."

Punishments were administered to hundreds of thousands on _Krampusnacht_. Thirty suffered the same fate as Peter Jamison. As he passed over Maui, Krampus let out a bittersweet sigh. It had indeed been a big night.

When the sleigh landed, he took his time bringing the reindeer to the stables. Krampus then took the basket into the keep through the Lower Door that led to the dungeon, and then into Initial Holding. The door locked and secured, he turned over the basket. Thirty children poured out onto the icy stone floor.

"STAND UP! STAND UP! STAND UP AGAINST THE WALL FACING IT!"

They scrambled to do as they were told.

And waited.

Krampus walked by them all, slowly, making sure they heard his steps. At random, he would grab one or two, and swat them, perhaps once perhaps more than once.

"You have been brought to the Iron Hold. Here you will remain until you are deemed ready to be released. I will now escort you by twos into your individual cells."

As there were thirty children and over three hundred cells, this took the better part of the nighttime and early morning hours. But after this, he retreated to his sleeping quarters for a well-earned rest.

"Over at last," he whispered as he set his head down. "Over at last."


	4. Chapter 4 - Stepping Down

Krampus groaned getting up. Was this really it, he thought, the last day on the job? Not even a wake up left to go. Still, it wasn't over yet.

"Chloe! Leo! _Kommen sie hier!"_

The two children were there within seconds.

"As you know," he said, "today is the day that I resign my position as Krampus. I am placing the two of you in charge of forty-five others, though I am sure that the Head Elf will assign someone to chaperone. All of you shall be released on the 26th of December. However...I do not want this to be known, especially to our newest guests. I want you to give the impression that they will be here months, if not years. Do you understand why I ask you to do this."

"Yes, Master Krampus," said Chloe. "A punishment of only three weeks may not be enough for the lesson to be learned...unless they thought the punishment was to be for much more than three weeks."

Krampus nodded. "Good. Very good. You have learned much from your time in Eisenhochburg. Do not let me down. I do not know who will replace me, but I doubt very much that he will be as kindly and understanding as I am."

"Master Krampus, will we see you again."

"No Leo," he said, shaking his head, "not like this. But it is not farewell, just yet. For now...Chloe, I want you to bring down my great robe. Leo, you prepare the sleigh. Have the experienced prisoners prepare the daily meal. Remember, somber faces until the twenty-sixth of December. Dismissed!"

A short while later, dressed in his great robe, Krampus flicked the reins. " _Fliege!_ _Nordpol!_ "

Upon arrival, he was greeted by the Bernard and Judy. "The man of the hour arrives! Come in, come in! Judy tried to put her arms around him, but it was a futile effort. As junior elves moved in to secure the Iron Sleigh and its reindeer, the three entered the Great Hall.

"My dear Elves," announced Santa Claus, "fellow members of the Council of Legendary Figures, friends and visitor, I am pleased to welcome to Santa's Workshop at the North Pole, the legendary Krampus!" Loud applause echoed in the chamber, as did calls of " _speech!_ " " _speech!_ " Santa held up his hands. "He has served in his position in as many years...centuries...as many of us have been alive. He has borne the trial of those years silently and without complaint, and now goes off to live a human life. May his future endeavors be as fruitful as his past ones!"

Again there was much applause. Scott continued. "I shall now hand the floor over to Father Time." The two men shook hands and Santa Claus took his position next to Krampus.

"Ernst has taken the reins of perhaps the most difficult position of legendary figures and has performed his duties admirably. He will be missed, but as a legendary figure _emeritus_ , he is always welcome to speak on the Council. I have no doubts your wisdom shall be strongly considered." Looking Krampus in his eye, he continued:

"I believe it is time to get on to what Ernst Müller has been waiting for. Santa Claus, are you ready to relieve Krampus of the Birch Bundle?"

Scott showed Father Time his gloves. "I am ready."

"...Proceed!"

Santa Claus stood tall and straight, regal in bearing

"Ernst Müller, having received and accepted your resignation, I hereby relieve you of all duties and obligations of the office of The Krampus."

Krampus bowed. "Santa Claus, it was my honor to serve. I now pass to you the symbol of the office of Krampus, to be held in your care until such time as the office is filled. In doing so, I officially resign the office and relinquish my duties." He handed the Birch Bundle to Santa Claus. Santa took them in his left hand. They shook hands.

"Congratulations Ernst," said Scott. "Good call on the robe, but I think you'll want to hit the bathroom right now, and we have one set aside for you right over there. You deserve a bit of privacy.

" _Danke schoen_!" Already he could feel the magic flowing out of him. He reached up to feel his head - and a horn popped loose. Walking quickly, he stumbled into the bathroom and locked the door. His second horn came off moments later, and he saw skin quickly growing over the holes left by the horns, while the fallen horns crumbled into dust. He gasped, his skin tickling, and millions of follicles shut down, his fur falling from his body, becoming hard and brittle and smashing into dust particles as they hit the floor. The sharp features of his face softened and the natural color was restored. Ears shrank and became soft and rounded. Muscles dwindled from monstrous to simply athletic. His cloven hoof split into five toes and his upper hoof stretched into a foot. Claws withdrew and were replaced by flat nails. Fangs shrank into flat, clean, white teeth. Golden hair sprouted on the head and elsewhere, his golden beard long and thick.

And that was that. Scissors and a razor had been provided and Ernst quickly trimmed the beard to about an inch, and his hair to about three inches. He sobbed joyfully, quietly, for a few minutes, and then stood tall…though perhaps half a meter shorter than he had been.

" _Ich bin Ernst Müller!_ " he proclaimed triumphantly. He had aged over the centuries, but nowhere near as much as he'd expected. He would have to check with Father Time about that. Like the razor and scissors, several sets of clothes had been thoughtfully provided, and he changed into a set of grey slacks and a blue flannel shirt. He stepped out of the bathroom.

Gasps echoed about the floor as the man who had been Krampus was seen for the first time in nearly fifteen hundred years.

"He's so handsome!" was a phrase spoken by many as Ernst walked by them gingerly, then with more confidence across the floor to the Council members.

"Santa Claus, Father Time, I stand relieved!" Ernst spoke lightly with a clipped tenor.

"Physically, you are nearly fifteen years older than you were when you first assumed the office," said Father Time, answering the unspoken question. "One year for every century. How do you feel?"

"For a man of forty-seven then, I would say I feel pretty good!" He flexed a bicep and stretched.

Scott nodded to him. "We prepared your retirement package. We don't know where you would like to settle or anything, so just visit the records hall and they will prepare the necessary identification and other paperwork. Apparently, a fund was prepared for you to aid in your resettlement. Have you given any thought to what you would like to do?"

"Ah, most definitely Mr. Calvin. But I shall wait for the rest of the month before I act on anything. I should very much like to meet my replacement."

Santa Claus nodded. "A wish I shall happily grant. And I would like you to invite you to witness the selection process."

* * *

 _"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."_

"Make it tight. No cheating!" Santa instructed Bernard. He grasped the Birch Bundle, card, and candy cane tightly. "Just guide me into the room and don't let me step on the boxes." Dozens of meter long six inch wide boxes were arranged on the floor in a "W" shaped pattern. Along the side of the room were a half dozen large mail baskets filled with bundles of birch sticks and two tables with envelopes stuffed with cards. Bernard dragged a plastic trolley with birch branches, cards, and candy canes behind him.

"And…stop here." Santa knelt, blindfolded. He reached for one of the boxes. Inside it, he placed the envelope with the card, the candy cane, and the Birch Bundle. He felt for the cover and placed it over the box, then sealed it with his tape stick. He reached back to the trolley for another set of the three items, placed them into another box, and then sealed them inside as well. Scott repeated the process twenty more times, and then shuffled the boxes, still blindfolded."

"All right then, that should be enough! We'll have no idea which is the real Birch Bundle until it's unsealed! Send in everyone and let's finish the job!"

"Okay, Elves, you heard the man, make it happen." Santa was joined by dozens of elves packing boxes with sticks, envelopes, and candy canes. After stuffing a few more boxes, he joined Bernard and Ernst off to the side.

"Think it'll work?" he asked.

"I don't see why not, I have no idea which is the Parcel," offered Bernard.

"1,494 packages was a nice touch," agreed Ernst. "What was written on the card?"

"I needed to explain things in order to make sure people didn't think they were being pranked. I just explained the purpose of the birch sticks and how the candy cane represented the sweetness of restoration." He further explained to Bernard and Ernst. "That's not the true meaning of the candy cane, but it works in this context."

"Fair enough," agreed Bernard. "Did you change anything on the card for the Parcel?"

Scott nodded. "Notice of Implied Contract,' in big red letters on the back. Not itsy-bitsy words on the side, _Bernard_. And the card was placed on top of the bundle, on the inner wrapping, so it won't be entrapment, **_Bernard_** ," he said quite pointedly, although winking and smiling when he said it.

Bernard chuckled nervously. "The Santa Clause, did you ever get the chance to read that, Ernst?"

"No," Ernst answered, "but I suspect that Mr. Calvin would not be in his current position if the words were in a larger font, eh?" Bernard shrugged. "Anyway Boss, what did you write under the Big Red Letters?"

Santa recited: "I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained,' et cetera, et cetera... ' _Fax mentis, incendium gloria cultum_ ,' et cetera, et cetera... _Memo bis punitor delicatum_! It's all there! Black and white, clear as crystal!"

"Huh?"

" _Was_?"

"Just kidding. No, what it really says is; ' _By taking the true Birch Bundle in hand, you agree to waive any and all rights to any previous identity or form, real or implied, and fully accept the duties and responsibilities of and serve no less than one term as the_ **Krampus** _. Said term shall be for a duration of five hundred (500) years or 182,625 twenty-four hour days which commences on the first day of the year Two Thousand and Seventeen at 12:01 AM, Greenwich Mean Time._ '"

"…Sounds reasonable," said Bernard. "And what if they read the card first?"

Scott thought a bit. "You know something, my friend? I'm actually not worried about that in the slightest. But we'll cross it when we come to it."

* * *

"Miss Bello?" Laura turned at the sound of her name. It was Chris Keller, one of her students from her last years AP Chemistry class.

"Oh, hi Chris. What's up?"

"I apologize if this is none of my business, but I thought Greg and I saw you and Mr. Piekov at Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving night."

"Well, I accept your apology then. It's a small town, Chris, and you've lived here longer than I have if memory serves me right. Look, we're teachers, and naturally we are going to socialize at least a little bit if we happen to cross paths when we're off the job." She raised her eyebrows. "Was there anything else."

Chris kind of grimaced at that, "I suppose I killed my chance to sweet talk you into this, but if you could write me a few recommendations, I'd sure appreciate it."

"You'll never have to sweet talk me into _that,_ " she laughed. "Just make a list of where you're applying and some information about yourself to jog my memory, and leave it with the teacher's secretary. How did you do on the AP exam?

"Got a four."

"Not perfect, but better than average. And thank you for asking."

"So how far have you two gotten? I mean as far as a relationship, not…you know?"

"You're truly a grandmistress in the art of subtlety, Taylor," said Natalia with a smirk. "And to be blunt, I don't mind answering it. Greggor and I do love each other – and I don't think anything can wreck our relationship."

"Aw that's so sweet," cooed Sarah. "Do you think you'll tie the knot right after graduation…or hold off till after college?"

Natalia laughed at this. "Swear to you, Sarah…I tell you it's the funniest thing. Both of us want to get married. And we've switched on when we want to do it. One week we'll disagree one way, the next we'll disagree on the other. Frustrating as hell to be engaged to a debate team member."

Sarah laughed into her hands. "Frustrating as hell to be engaged _as_ a debate team member. Are you finding ways to relieve that frustration, you know?"

She reached up and stroked her friend's hair. "I'm launching a lot of _Georgia Satellites_." Natalia really _was_ a grandmistress in the art of subtlety and she struggled to keep a straight face as she looked at Sarah's confused expression.

" _...Sore wa...dō ka to omoimasu..._ " Sarah replied.*

* * *

He had been worrying about this week of classes. Unless the topic was the Old West, the time between the Civil War and the Spanish American War had always seemed to be the most boring part of American History. But as an AP history teacher, George thought that his obligation to make it interesting was even greater. He had made sure to secure the use of a TV and projector…unfortunately there weren't too many National Geographic or History Channel videos of the Reconstruction. But he was able to find one on the tenure of Andrew Johnson as president and his impeachment.

This didn't make it much easier though. For one thing, he had to create new quizzes to keep his students minds alert…and since his impromptu date with Laura, keeping his own mind alert in class was becoming more and more difficult. Greg and Natalie had apparently already seen the two of them together after church and after coming out of the new _Star Wars_ prequel.

Which naturally meant that it was even more important that he remained focused on belting out excellent teaching plans. He remembered one class he had taken in high school, Laura's subject, come to think of it, where the class was so disorganized that he couldn't remember learning anything that he hadn't gone home and studied for himself, it was a wasted fifty minutes. And while he had honed his skill on what was euphemistically called "classroom management" back it Pittsburgh, he would much rather rely on keeping the subject matter interesting. Cold-calling in class, calling students at random and expecting them to have a ready answer could be traumatic, but at least it kept things interesting.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_** : Love the reviews, thank you both so much. I'll do my best to keep the chapters rolling out consistently.

You may have figured that this is the penultimate chapter before the successor of the Krampus is determined. Or rather named, the determination has been made. I challenge you all to make a guess…including your rationale.

*(Sore wa...dō ka to omoimasu)(Japanese): "I don't know what to say about that."


	5. Chapter 5 - Christmas Selection

… _Bells are ringin', children singin', all is merry and bright_ _  
_ _So jump in bed, and cover your head, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight!_

"Hey, Phillip, same routing as last year? Anything I should watch for?"

Phil, a crisply-mannered, British-sounding elf in charge of flight operations grabbed a bulging folder from the wall and cracked it open to reveal several printouts of weather maps and radar photos, and weather reports and forecasts from scores of airports around the world. They weren't strictly necessary as the sleigh and reindeer were more than enough protection against the elements, but Scott found this to be an interesting aspect of the job.

"Erm, right then Santa. It's ah, 'tis a bit warmer this season, though not like 2015. We filed you VFR at 16,500 towards the South Pacific and New Zealand. Naturally, you have been cleared through NORAD, they will as usual be tracking and broadcasting your location at any given moment, and as always you are SANTA1 - Green Sleigh."

"What about weight and balance, we're carrying an extra fifteen hundred packages?"

"Yes, yes indeed. You are a bit heavy, but well within limits and the birch parcels are to be distributed equally over the globe, based on acceptance of Christmas throughout the routing…as per your instructions on the issue."

"Excellent. What is the latest on the reindeer?"

"Everything indicates they are in tip top shape. Were you planning on the usual eight?"

"Let's go with nine, the usual suspects plus Chet. Anything else?"

"I'm going to call it briefing complete, and here's your paperwork." Scott took the proffered folder, found the flight release and signed it. Phillip took it, signed it himself and handed Scott back a copy. That done, Santa took off for his sleigh, picking up a basket of apple and carrot chunks.

As usual, the elves had assembled to see of the boss, and Ernst was there as well. Santa shook hands with most of them, kissed Carol and hugged Judy and several other of the lady elves. He turned to his sleigh.

"How's everyone doing?" he asked his reindeer. "Word is that it's another warm Christmas Eve." The nine stomped impatiently. "Who wants…apples?" Comet, Blitzen, Dasher, Chet and Prancer stomped and cried, and Santa gave the five two chunks each. He gave carrots to the rest, and then climbed aboard.

He called the reindeer to attention, and with a snap of the reins, he was off.

What would normally take six months in regular time was accelerated by a factor of a thousand. Millions of children were visited, with gifts selected with precision by the combined efforts of Santa and his elves. And Scott Calvin loved every moment of it, reveling in the powerful flow of adrenaline through his body. The magical shield of the sleigh was weak enough that he could enjoy the stiff breeze, but strong enough to protect him from the damaging effects the wind would normally have and allow him to converse with the reindeer.

Quentin had programmed the sleigh to play a combination of Christmas, Hanukkah, and regional music as he passed through each nation. Gifts of all types, shapes and sizes were delivered as planned…including the birch bundles, packed at random. But in any random sampling, there are bound to be clusters delivered. Not more than one to a house, the sorting was too precise for that, but a few small towns got three or more. As to where the actual magical branches were, nobody knew for sure.

The night wore on, and Santa Claus continued his journey, crossing the Urals into Europe, zigzagging across European Russia, then down across the Holy Lands and into Egypt and the rest of Africa, down to Cape Town, back up to Morocco. Scott flew back up the spine of Italy for a reunion with his _paisano_ , Dominic the Christmas Donkey, then into Central Europe. He stopped for a quick meal in his ancestral home _Korvatunturi_ , located in Rovaniemi, capital of Finnish Lapland. From there, he headed north to the tip of continental Europe and back down south, looping over the British Isles, before coming back over the Continent into Spain and Portugal.

Upon leaving Lisbon, he crossed the sea again for deliveries in South America, and when that continent was covered, he headed for Scott Calvin's home country.

* * *

 _Love choir of children sing their song, they've practised all year long_ _  
_ _Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong…_

Natalia was woken up by her little brother. Though she loved Christmas, her enthusiasm was dimmed by having her three younger siblings and older brother bouncing around. She had stayed up past midnight and gone to bed around one…and now it was just five hours later. Natalia was met by equally groggy parents, but her older brother had been thoughtful enough to put on a cup of coffee.

As was family tradition they ate a large breakfast of eggs and bacon and toast with coffee first – then headed to the Christmas tree. Gifts were unwrapped one by one so they could be admired individually. Kelly, Natalia's youngest sister and Tony, her youngest brother took turns presenting presents to their parents and their brothers and sisters.

"Here's a big one for Kelly, from…Santa!" Tony handed her a long box about a yard long.

"From Santa, huh?" She carefully unwrapped the box and read the card. "Branches of the Krampus? Well, I guess nobody has been naughty enough this year." She took out the branches, giving them a sniff. "Thought they might be scented or something." Carefully putting them back in the box, she noted that the candy cane was a nice bonus and the branches would make a nice decoration with a proper pot.

* * *

 _With angelic hosts proclaim: Christ is born in Bethlehem!_ _  
_ _Hark the Herald angels sing: Glory to the new born King_

An only child, Tre' was embraced by his mother and father. The Richards family preferred to eat, drink, and unwrap presents at the same time. Tre' got a full wardrobe full of new clothes, he would take his old clothes and donate them to charity, several new books and CD's and a bank bond for saving.

"Hey Dad, check out this one? He handed his father a long package."

"Who'd this come from? Ol Kris Kringle, eh? (Did you wrap this, honey?)"

"Hey, don't look at me; I've never seen it before."

"Let's see what the man in the red suit gave me." He tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. "…All right…firewood." He looked out at the wet and cloudy but hardly freezing Christmas morning. "Not much use for that today, I'd say. And a candy cane!"

"Tre', let me see that card, would you please?" Tonya took the card and opened the envelope.

"Oh I see what it is!" she exclaimed. "Tim, it's supposed to be the symbol of the Krampus, an old German legend."

"No kidding?" He took the card, read it, and kissed his wife. "Thanks, sweetie."

* * *

 _I have a little dreidel. I made it out of clay. And when it's dry and ready, with dreidel I will play. Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel…_

"Merry Christmas, Mom," said Chris, wrapping her in a hug.

"We're Jewish, sweetheart," she laughed. "But Merry Christmas for all our friends."

* * *

 _Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch. This is Santa's big day._ _  
_ _And above all this bustle you hear…_

"Hey, Todd, would you mind waking your little sister up?"

"Will do!" He pounded on Mary Lou's door. "Hey squirt, you decent?"

"Nnnghhh"

"Takin' that as a 'no.'"

"Give me a minute, College Man!" Mary shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, then slipped out from under the blanket. She threw on her sweat pants that she used for pajamas more than anything else and a blue terry cloth robe around the rest of her slim form.

"Don't call me 'squirt,'" she said before kissing her brother on the cheek. "Merry Christmas." He took her by the hand and walked her to the living room.

"Morning Mom, morning Dad! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Mary Lou! Come on and let's see what we have."

It was coffee or cocoa for the Dobbins' on Christmas morning while opening the presents, followed by what was normally a light breakfast.

"Let's open some presents," said Todd. He reached down, studying the assorted packages. "Ladies first, and Mom, this one's for you."

Catherine Dobbins opened up her package revealing an antique desk set.

"And this one's for you, Daddy!" Daniel smiled, taking the package from his daughter. It was a novel that he'd been meaning to buy but had never gotten around to doing so.

The Dobbins family spent the better part of an hour passing around and opening gifts, and Catherine presented a long package to Mary Lou.

"From Santa," said Mary Lou. "That's cute." She carefully unwrapped her present and opened the box. "Branches?"

"What's in the envelope?" asked Daniel

Mary Lou took the card and recited: "You are receiving this gift in honor of the Krampus of Germanic legend. The birch branches are to be used as switches against the misbehaving." She took the branches out, examining them. "I don't know if using these would be classified as punishment or assault. They're pretty, I guess. And I like the candy cane."

"'Santa' does send some weird gifts," said Catherine, tossing an aside glance at Todd."

* * *

 _The boys of the NYPD Choir were singin' 'Galway Bay'_ _  
_ _And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day_

Greg was the first one up on Christmas morning. The package immediately caught his eye; he hadn't seen it before.

"To Greg, from Santa," he whispered. He unwrapped his present, just one for right now he said, and pulled out the birch branches.

"Sticks? Are you kidding me? I'll take the candy cane anyway." He went back upstairs and shoved the box and branches underneath his bed before he fell back into it.

* * *

 _Candles in the window…Shadows painting the ceiling…Gazing at the fireglow…_ _  
_ _Feeling that gingerbread feeling…_

"Sarah, come on down for breakfast."

"Okay, Mom!" She sat up and stretched, and then got out of bed. Her younger brother Miles and sister Shantih were already eating their oatmeal with bananas. They finished breakfast and went to the family room which featured a white plastic tree. Miles and Shantih were permitted to tear into their gifts while Shivali and Sarah were somewhat more refined.

"Mom, do you have any idea why our Secret Santa would send me branches?"

"I have no idea Sarah; maybe it's an invitation to a Finnish sauna. If what Michael Palin says is true, you are supposed to smack yourself in the back with them before going in. I think it's supposed to help with your blood flow."

Sarah scoffed, examining the branches. "If I do that, my blood will be flowing over the branches, look at these things."

"Did you even bother looking at the card?" Sarah's face flushed and she quickly did so.

"'Birch Branches of the Krampus?' It's an original notion for a Christmas present; I'll say that for sure."

"Sarah? Can I have your candy cane?" Sarah turned to see her brother. "' _May_ I have your candy cane?' Can you ask me that in Hindi, Miles?"

* * *

 _It's that time of year when the world falls in love. Every song you hear seems to say…_ _  
_' _Merry Christmas…may your new year's dreams come true…'_

Laura Bello woke with a start to the music of Frank Sinatra, and realized that they both fell asleep on the living room sofa.

"George," she whispered. "George, wake up." She felt his muscles stiffen, waking.

"Oh…oh jeez, did we…?"

"Fall asleep in each others arms on Christmas Eve?" she laughed. "Yeah, we did. For several hours."

"Ow…er, yeah it feels that way. Green Christmas?"

"Green and wet. Perfect time to stay indoors."

They got up and had a breakfast of coffee and cereal and then went back over to the tree. "So we're going over to your house after this to unwrap your presents?"

"We can do that if you'd like, Laura. Unwrapping my presents will take maybe a minute, though."

Laura laughed again, "Well, I'm familiar with that feeling." She stretched back on the loveseat. "Present me with a gift, Sir George. Start small." He handed her a flat present that was revealed to be a calendar from her brother. The next was a chemistry textbook from her father that was published in the late 19th century.

"That has to be worth a considerable sum," said George.

"I wouldn't doubt it," agreed Laura. "I'm almost afraid to open it. But it'll be interesting to compare it with modern volumes. I'm sure I can weave it into the syllabus somehow." Laura ran her hand over the leather. "Thank you, Mother."

Next was a box of clothing, jeans and sweaters from her dad, and the gifts were done.

"Oh wait," said George. "There's another one here." He brought out a long present wrapped in green and red.

Laura's brow furrowed. "That's funny; I didn't see that one before." George raised his eyebrows. "'To George, From Santa,' are you kidding me?" Laura's eyes were wide, hands up as if to say, _don't look at me_.

George shrugged. "Oh well, let's see what we've got." He unwrapped the present and removed the top. "Birch branches?" He took a look at the card. "Ever hear of the Krampus?"

"Wasn't there a movie about him last year? I didn't see it."

"You know how we say that Santa will give you a lump of coal if you're bad? Krampus would take these branches and whale the tar outta you for it!"

"Fwapissshhh!" Laura exclaimed, miming cracking a whip. "That's cool."

"We also got a candy cane. Split it with you for the road?"

"Lengthwise? Deal! Merry Christmas, George."

* * *

Santa would have liked nothing better than to land and go straight to bed when he ended his annual jaunt, but there were more pressing concerns this time. He went straight to Bernard and Curtis.

"Any word on who got the package?" he asked - his voice urgent.

"We're keeping an eye out for it," said Bernard.

"I expect there to be a pretty solid flare of magic when someone takes the bundle in hand," said Curtis "We have the detectors on high alert…we'll know."

"Based on the route you took, it's most likely going to be someone in the US or Canada," said Bernard. "Why don't you rest up? You and Ernst want to be the ones to bring our winner up here, right? It'll be difficult enough if you're exhausted." He motioned for Santa to leave. "Go on, get outta here. We'll wake you, Big Guy."

Scott smiled, _good ol' Bernard_. "Thanks guys, I appreciate that."

As is always the case after an extended time awake, the wake-up call after seemed to arrive just a few minutes after his head hit the pillow.

"Yeah?" he said, groggy.

Bernard's face was grim. "Santa, we have our winner," he said quietly. "You're not gonna like it." He handed him the folder.

Santa Claus took the folder and opened it. Bernard was right. Santa sighed. "Is there any way to stop it?"

Bernard spoke gently while slowly shaking his head. "Scott, once the branches are taken in hand, the contract is signed and irreversible. For what it's worth, I am sorry."

"Mary Lou Dobbins?" Santa asked, incredulous. "Oh no…"

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_** : A surprisingly difficult chapter to write, though it was still fun. Love to hear what you think.

 ** _MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!_**

Just for reference, if you were keeping score of the soundtrack:

1\. _Here Comes Santa Claus_ \- Elvis Presley  
2\. _Wonderful Christmas Time_ \- Paul McCartney  
3\. _Hark The Herald Angels Sing_ \- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir  
4\. _The Dreidel Song_ \- Jewish Traditional  
5\. _Silver Bells_ \- John Denver  
6\. _Fairytale of New York_ \- Kristy Nichols and the Pogues  
7\. _Somewhere in My Memory_ \- John Williams, Soundtrack from _Home Alone_  
8\. _A Christmas Waltz_ \- Frank Sinatra


	6. Chapter 6 - Meeting the Winner

"Is there something wrong, Scott?" Carol asked as she saw the perturbed expression on her husband's face. He nodded as he held up Mary Lou's file, shaking it and handing it to her.

She took it, wondering if there was some confidentiality protocol her husband should be following. "'Mary Lou Dobbins,'" she read, "well she's pretty, isn't she? Seventeen years old, a junior in high school, lives in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, never on the naughty list, lots of volunteer work, good grades, on track to graduate from high school in December of next year."

Santa nodded sharply, a tight-lipped smile on his face. "Yeah, she is pretty, she is kind, she is clever…she is the new Krampus."

" _What?!_ "

"Oh God, Carol, what've I done?" he asked as he slouched into an easy chair beside her.

"There isn't any way out of this for her, is there?" Scott shook his head at his wife's question. "I wouldn't be in this state if there were. And here I was actually thinking that it was to best way to fill the office."

"It probably was, Scott. I couldn't have thought up a more equitable way of doing so. The process was random, and it's not like Mary Lou is a child, she's at the age of majority in a lot of countries."

"Thank the good Lord it wasn't a kid then. And you know, if Mary Lou's ancestors had remained in Britain, I might be less concerned. But Carol, that's neither here nor there. She has to come to the North Pole and fulfill the duties of the office by tomorrow night." Seeing Carol's confused expression, he explained. "There are forty-five kids in the Iron Keep that need to be set free tomorrow. And she is the only one who can do that."

"And after that?"

"Then we send her back home to get her affairs in order, but according to Bernard, she needs to be back here by November first."

Carol cupped Santa's face in her hands. "Well then that's that, you know what needs to be done. It's only a question of how you do it. She's going to need a lot of support."

* * *

"I'll do whatever you wish, sir," said Judy. "But why me and not Bernard?"

"Bernard can be a little abrasive and I want him running things here. I need a tenderhearted elf to show who I am, so the Dobbins' will have no doubt they are dealing with the genuine Santa Claus. But I also agree with Carol that Mary Lou will need support. I'll never forget the way you took care of Charlie and me when we first arrived. I want you to do that for Mary Lou as well."

"And what about Mary Lou's family, sir?"

This question made him kneel in front of Judy and he kissed her on the forehead. "And her family." Twenty minutes later, Santa, Ernst, and Judy were on their way to Pennsylvania.

It was a little after five in the afternoon and the sun had already gone down. Todd was on his way down to the kitchen for a snack while reading quietly in his room, and his parents and Mary Lou were downstairs watching the Steelers and the Ravens. The doorbell rang and Todd went to answer it.

The door opened to reveal Santa Claus, a female elf, and a younger gentleman with a short beard.

"…Good evening. May I help you?" Todd asked the question politely but with raised eyebrows.

"Merry Christmas, Todd, it is good to see you once more. I am of course Santa Claus, this little elf is named Judy, and the gentleman is Ernst Müller. Forgive us for interrupting what is, or what should be, a family holiday…but it is urgent that we speak with Mary Lou; preferably with the whole family present if at all possible."

Todd nodded, eyes narrowing. "Right. Could you excuse me for just a minute?" He closed the door.

"So that's it?" asked Ernst.

"Maybe," said Santa. "But let's give them a bit of time."

Todd walked into the family room where everyone else was. "Mary Lou, you have yourself some weird friends!"

"Pardon?"

"That was St. Nicholas, an elf, and some German guy on the front door who wanted to talk to all of us, and you in particular."

" _What!?"_ she asked.

"Did they seem reasonable?" asked Daniel. "I mean apart from the obvious."

"They were courteous enough, I suppose."

Mr. Dobbins switched off the television. "It's been a dull evening so far. Let's hear them out."

Mary Lou wasn't sure what to think as she sat on the floor of the living room. But accompanied by her father was a man with a broad white beard wearing a finely knitted sweater and the dark red Santa Claus pants. Along with him was a young girl in a deep royal blue outfit with white fur trim. Her eyes widened as she saw that she had wide pointed ears and her face seemed to sparkle. The other man, Ernst was dressed normally. They came in with her parents and brother and all sat down.

"Daniel, Catherine, Mary, and Todd Dobbins," said 'Santa,' "I thank you for inviting us inside your home, and I certainly appreciate any caution or skepticism that you are surely feeling right now. I am indeed Santa Claus, though you may also refer to me as Scott Calvin. The young girl is Judy, and she is one of my _senior_ elves and makes one of the finest cups of hot chocolate you could ever taste. The gentleman is Ernst Müller, and he is the former holder of the office of _**Krampus**_. Are any of you familiar with the name?"

"I've heard the name before," said Daniel. "But I hadn't really familiarized myself with it."

"What I know, I just read from the card that came with the birch branches," said Mary Lou.

"Mary Lou, would you be kind enough to bring the branches and card down here?" asked Santa. She was and headed upstairs, her mind and stomach doing somersaults. She found the branches and card on top of her dresser and brought them down.

"Mary Lou, please show the branches to Ernst." She did as she was asked and Ernst took them in his gloved hands, examined them briefly, and handed them back to her.

"Ernst, what would you say?"

"Santa, those are indubitably the original birch branches that I have used for nearly fifteen centuries as the Krampus. That," he pointed at the bundle in Mary Lou's left hand, " _is_ the true Birch Bundle."

"Very well then." Santa stood. "Mary Lou, have you read the entire card that was sent with the birch branches?"

"I guess I just read the front," she said. "Sir, what's going on?"

"The Notice of Implied Contract on the reverse side shall explain, go ahead and read it aloud, Mary Lou."

She swallowed, pushed her glasses up her nose, and read:

 **"By taking the true Birch Bundle in hand, you agree to waive any and all rights to any previous identity or form, real or implied, and fully accept the duties and responsibilities of and serve no less than one term as the Krampus. Said term shall be for a duration of five hundred (500) years or 182,625 twenty-four hour days which commences on the first day of the year Two Thousand and Seventeen at 12:01 AM, Greenwich Mean Time.**

 **1\. You are hereby appointed to the office of Krampus and inaugurated into the League of Legendary Figures and are therefore entitled to all privileges and perquisites afforded therein.**

 **2\. Your duties as Krampus are to consult with the Spirit of Christmas, herein referred to as Santa Claus, to determine the best means of discipline to be applied to the selected juveniles on the annual event known as Krampus Night (** _ **Krampusnacht**_ **), to be held on the evening of December 5th and morning of December 6th.**

 **3\. Additional duties and responsibilities may only be assigned by Santa Claus. Any conflicts or disagreements must be resolved either by mutual agreement or by summary consultation with the Council of Legendary figures.**

 **4\. Failure to perform assigned and additional duties may result in censure and punishment as determined by council.**

 **5\. Should you take the office as a juvenile, under the age of majority in your nation of birth, you shall be appointed as a ward of Santa Claus until reaching the age of eighteen. Upon reaching the age of eighteen, your official residence shall be the Iron Keep.**

 **6\. Following successful completion of the initial term, the Krampus may remain in office at leisure or step down. Unsuccessful completion shall result in immediate dismissal and forfeiture of any and all benefits."**

"Welcome aboard, Mary. Did you understand you've read?" asked Santa. Mary nodded, wholly gobsmacked. It couldn't really be true, could it?

Both Catherine and Daniel exploded at that.

"What makes you think we are going to stand here and allow this to happen, even if it was true?"  
"We are her _parents_ , _Mister Calvin_ , we do _**not**_ consent!"  
"She is seventeen, therefore any contract she makes is immediately void anyway…and look at this card, what is it, three by five inches if that? I can barely read it."

"Mister and Missus Dobbins," said Judy, standing up. "Your daughter has invoked a powerful magical contract that all of us are powerless to reverse. I know you wish to protect her, and as a mother of four elves myself, I am certainly sympathetic. However right now we have forty-five children that must be returned to their parents as they have served their time under the previous Krampus," she indicated Ernst. "They must be returned by the _current_ Krampus," she indicated Mary Lou. "Once that is done, Mary Lou will be returned to live at this address at least until Halloween. I believe that Mary Lou will have been, according to Pennsylvania law, legally emancipated by then and will have had plenty of time to make any necessary arrangements. Daniel…Catherine…I'm asking you to think of other parents and children."

"Well, no pressure there," said Todd, sarcastically.

"Mary Lou," asked Daniel, "do you want to take this responsibility?"

"I…" Mary Lou's head was swimming. "Beam me up, Scotty," she whispered to herself. Santa heard that and smirked. "Just, go and return kids to parents?" asked Mary Lou. The little girl claiming to be a mother of four took her by the hand in both of hers, nodding her head. "And then you come back here. Ernst will help you understand your responsibilities. We all want you to succeed in this."

"Okay," said Mary Lou. "Okay, I will do it. I'll be back on the twenty-seventh, then? Promise?"

"As a fellow legendary figure," said Santa, "on my honor, you will be back here on the twenty-seventh. Of December. This year. We will answer any further questions that you, your brother, or your parents will have. Are you ready to go? All you'll need are the birch branches; they are your symbol of office. Oh, and a coat." He turned to the Dobbins'. "I thank you all for your understanding." He shook hands with Todd and Daniel and embraced Catherine. Judy did the same, planting kisses on their cheeks, and giggled as she allowed her ears to be examined. "Yep," she said laughing, "they're really really real!"

Daniel wondered how a sleigh could land in his front yard without hearing it, especially since it was attached to six reindeer.

"Don't you normally fly with nine?"

"Normally, I fly with eight, but four people are considered a light load. Don't worry, Danny, we'll bring back Mary Lou safe and sound." The two men shook hands, and Santa boarded.

"Mary Lou, come on up front." She did so and Santa handed her the reins. "Your honor, Mary Lou."

Mary Lou grinned, took a deep breath, and snapped the reins with a strong "HYAAHH!" The reindeer bolted, leaping into the sky and slamming her back against the seat.

"Now just tell them where to go – Santa's Workshop." Mary nodded eagerly. "SANTA'S WORKSHOP! _"Now Dasher! now Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, to where toys they are fixin'. From my little hometown to the mighty North Pole! Now, dash away, dash away, dash to our goal!"_

Corny though it was, all four of them laughed heartily, and the sound of the reindeer was oddly similar to laughing.

"So are we just heading straight north?"

"That's right, Mary Lou. Right up the 76th parallel. How do you like it?"

She wiped tears from her eyes. "I had no idea, Santa! I feel so strange…and so good! It's incredible!"

He smiled at the girl warmly, stroking her straight chin-length blond hair. "It gets better," he promised.

"How fast are we going?"

Santa showed her the mach meter. "We can go over Mach 5000 with all the reindeer, but we don't need to. Right now we are poking along at Mach four. The Iron Sleigh, that's what you and Ernst will be riding tomorrow, can go a little over 2000 times the speed of sound."

"It's so much to take in!"

"I know how you feel Mary Lou. I felt the same way twenty-two years ago. But it's real. You'll get to meet Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny, legendary figures you've never heard of. And best of all, Mary Lou…now you are one yourself!"

Judy leaned over, "You're taking this a lot better than Scott did," she giggled.

* * *

At Mach 4, covering the distance between Elizabethtown and the North Pole took about an hour, plus the time to descend and maneuver to landing.

"And here we are!" said Santa. The reindeer unhitched themselves and ran ahead.

"Here" was pretty much what Mary expected of the North Pole…the Geographic North Pole…the "lots of people dying from starvation, exposure, scurvy, and losing noses and toes to frostbite" North Pole.

"It's not as cold as I thought, but still…yikes!" Santa nodded. "It's colder on the continents; the North Pole is warmed by sea water that is never less than twenty-eight degrees. But here comes some more magic." Another elf appeared around the tip of an ice ridge, and reached down. Moments later, a clear crystal appeared, attached to a finely decorated red and white striped pole. A number pad popped out and the elf entered four numbers. Beautiful soothing music filled Mary Lou's ears and they began to descend through the ice.

"Oh my goodness…" she breathed, awestruck.

As they descended, Santa began pointing out those who came to witness the arrival of the new Krampus. "That gorgeous lady is my wife, Carol, and my son, Buddy - and with him is Bernard, the head elf, and Curtis, his assistant. The elf with the long hair is Abby, she's Judy's cousin.

Carol immediately ran towards them, right up to Mary Lou. "Oh Mary Lou Dobbins, it's so good to see you. Welcome to the North Pole!" She turned to her husband. "Scott, did everything go all right?"

He nodded. "There was the expected skepticism, but Mary Lou has smart parents, and a good brother. Judy was brilliant." Judy flashed brilliant white teeth at this assessment, and Mary Lou couldn't help agreeing.

As she stepped out of the sleigh, Bernard approached her, and Mary Lou bowed.

" _Mae govannen_ , _Bernard._ " Bernard bowed as well.

" _Elen sila lumenn omentilmo, Mary Lou."_ He replied.

"Oh my gosh, you speak Sindarin!?"

"…No! But after watching _Lord of the Rings_ a few dozen times, ya pick it up, don't you? Nice to meet you in person, Mary Lou." He turned to Abby. "Take her to her room. Make sure she has everything she needs." Bernard turned back to her. "Congratulations, Mary Lou Dobbins, you have no idea yet how important this job is. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow and you've been through a lot. Get some rest, you've earned it."

"Got your branches?" asked Abby. "Good." Abby took Mary Lou by the arm. "Right this way." They walked for several minutes. "I'll have to give you the full tour after you finish your work tomorrow. Don't worry, it won't take that long. Anyway, that's Santa's private quarters…that's Buddy's room…these three guest rooms are for Scott and Carol's families. And here we are!" Abby popped open the door to reveal what would be seen as a luxury suite in a five-star resort.

"Wow!"

Abby laughed. "Glad you like it. Can I get you anything?"

"No, no thanks," this is fine. Abby smiled. "Just pull that bell if you change your mind, Krampus. But be sure to take Bernard's advice and get plenty of rest. Good evening." And Abby departed.

As Mary Lou slipped under the covers, she realized that she had been personally addressed as _Krampus_ for the first time. It had felt…strange.


	7. Chapter 7 - Boxing Day

"Hey Mom," said a worried-looking Todd. "I looked up the word 'Krampus.' You should see this." Catherine could have kicked herself, of course that should have been the first thing they did. No matter though, she followed her son up to his room and to his computer where he had gone to the Wikipedia page:

 _In folklore, Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon", who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts…_

To the right was a picture of Krampus next to an impassive St. Nicholas. Krampus had a set of goat-like horns that appeared to be attached to a baseball cap. On his back was a basket, and other than the long tongue that lolled out of his mouth, he looked reasonably human.

"That doesn't look too bad," said Catherine.

"No. But keep scrolling down." She did so.

 _Although Krampus appears in many variations, most share some common physical characteristics. He is hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue lolls out, and he has fangs._

"Oh my poor little girl," breathed Catherine. The picture adjoining that passage was anthropomorphic, but otherwise inhuman. She squeezed her son's hand. "Do you think Mary Lou knows?"

"Did you hear how happy she sounded when she left for the North Pole," Todd asked. "I can't imagine her acting that way if she did know. On the other hand, maybe she'll simply execute the duties of the office, with no physical changes involved." Catherine gave him a skeptical look.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to keep out hopes up. But Santa Claus sure looked like Santa Claus." She did an image search for Krampus. "Your father and I are going to support her no matter what. And if this," she indicated the first picture, a massively large one, on the image search, "is how Mary Lou looks for the rest of our lives, she is still my daughter."

"And she will always be my kid…my _little_ sister," Todd replied. "But I hope they still give her the news straight, if that is her fate."

* * *

"You do know we have to tell her, Scott." Santa Claus shook his head.

"Carol, this grieves me, I would like nothing more than to be able to tell her – but we can't."

"Why _not_?! Mary Lou is such a sweet girl, and the transformation is so terrible!"

"And that is the reason why we mustn't tell her. Much of the power and effectiveness of Krampus is born out of righteous rage, and that is why she has to bear the trauma and horror of becoming a beast. To tell her flat out would be to handicap her – and, Carol, if she fails in her duties…"

"Returning to human form aged only one year for every hundred as Krampus is a benefit, isn't it?"

Scott nodded; his face somber. "A benefit she would forfeit. That's why I gave strict orders to Ernst that she is to be told nothing regarding her appearance. Besides, we aren't certain that she will change – or if she does that it will be in the same manner."

"Mary Lou is going to hate you for this."

Scott nodded his affirmation. "And that's why being a good parent is so difficult."

* * *

Mary Lou stretched under the silk covers when she heard the knocking on the door. "I'm awake," she called out. She heard the Ernst's thick German accent. "Mary Lou, you have twenty minutes to meet me for breakfast."

"I'll be there!"

She got out of bed and stretched more fully, then took a steaming hot and powerful shower. She gritted her teeth as she finished by switching the water from hot to ice cold to get her blood pumping.

She met Ernst and Lucy chatting downstairs at breakfast. Elves served her pancakes, grapefruit and cocoa, with a tall glass of orange juice.

"How do they get the citrus here?" Mary Lou asked.

"Oh, we grow our own now. It used to be that we would have the fruit imported, but Bernard figured out how to grow fruit and vegetables by using hydroponics and sun lamps. That's part of the reason he's the head elf."

After breakfast, they bundled up and met with Santa. Again, Santa had guided Mary Lou on how to fly the sleigh though this was only a short trip. "Your reindeer will do most of the work;" he said, "you need only remember to issue the correct commands."

"Yessir!"

They flew only a few hundred feet above the ice. Their destination was part of the same berg, but in a slightly recessed depression that was all but invisible unless one was deliberately searching for it. The dark spires blasted with and smeared with centuries of ice and snow came in to view.

"There, Mary Lou! _Eisenhochburg,_ your future home," Ernst said, pointing down at the dark grey fortress.

"Is it really all iron?"

"Most of it is basalt, hence the color, but there are extensive places in it of wrought iron."

Mary Lou felt a chill fall insider her. Foreboding indeed.

The elves, Karl and Hazel, had flown the Iron sleigh back to the Iron Stronghold when Ernst had officially retired and they had taken care of the castle and its guests for the past three weeks.

Mary Lou landed and came to a stop right next to the front door. She leaped out and gave the reindeer congratulatory pats and back scratches.

"Thank you for the lift, my friend."

"You are very welcome Ernst. Please take good care of Mary Lou, teach her well. And," he lowered his spectacles, "remember your promise."

"You have my word, sir."

Santa flicked the reins and soon Mary Lou and Ernst were alone. He turned to her. "So what do you think of _Eisenhochburg?"_

"Er…not to sound ungrateful or anything, but it seems awfully austere."

" _Ja_ , it is. First lesson to be learned on Krampus: be cold and foreboding. Iron goes a long way towards that."

They walked up to the front door, and Ernst pounded on the door. The resulting screech emanating from it as it opened sounded as if it had come from a horror movie. A pretty, dark female elf greeted them. "Welcome, Krampus and Mr. Müller, please come in."

Mary Lou and Ernst entered and she was astounded by the simultaneous warmth and darkness the castle showed. Illumination was from torches, braziers, and fireplaces.

"I assume you know why we are here, Hazel?"

"Of course, sir. Karl and I shall show you to the dungeons."

Mary Lou followed Hazel and they were soon joined by Karl who led them through the great hall into the inner, central tower.

"The tower descends into the ice twenty-five meters," Ernst explained. In total there are five hundred individual cells, but I've never had to use more than ninety. We will explore the living portion of the keep, where your quarters are, in due time, but we have a job to do now."

"It's so cold," said Mary Lou. "I'm going to need a parka to get anything done down here."

"The temperature is constantly around freezing. And you are quite right, a thick fur coat will be provided for you by the time you return next year."

Ernst turned to the elves. "Karl, get the children out of their cells, do not answer any questions. Hazel, fetch the basket and holding bags."

To Mary Lou, he said, "I spoke with Santa and he agreed that you will require additional help to allow you to grow into the job. Two elves will join you as assistants and they will be rotated on an annual basis. Now," he waved in the direction of the cell blocks, "only the Krampus may open the cells, and the children are in cells 1-100, understand?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Now take the branches, and wave them as if you were opening a lock, while declaring which cell or cells you want opened."

Mary Lou twisted the branches to the left. "Open cells one through one hundred!" She heard the metallic clank of hundred cells unlocking as one.

"That's it, well done. Let us wait for them."

As they waited, Hazel arrived with a large basket and several red sacks. Ernst thanked her and asked her to assist Karl.

"These sacks are warm and well-illuminated when we are releasing children back to their homes. When you are taking them as prisoners, I fear it is quite a different story. Listen." He held one of the sacks up to her ear, and indeed the sack was comfortably warm. Soothing music tickled her ear."

"It's beautiful," she smiled at Ernst.

"Of course, it is the music of redemption."

After what seemed like several minutes, a few dozen children, ages seven to ten, dressed in dirty rags began arriving before them. Most of them looked horrified, but some wore calmly resolute expressions. Mary Lou, stunned, put her hand to her mouth.

Ernst gently squeezed her shoulder. "Fear not, Mary Lou," he said in a whisper, "for these are mere spirits of the children. Physically, they are home."

"But they look so solid, so real," she whispered back, her voice urgent.

"Naturally. The spiritual world is no less real than the physical one, and in the most important ways, it is even more so. Karl, please introduce us." Karl bowed and turned to the children

"Greetings. You all know me as Karl. The man you see before me you once knew as Krampus, however, he has since resigned the title. I now introduce his replacement. She will explain what will now become of you." Mary Lou felt her jaw drop."

"Go on," whispered Ernst. What do I _say_ , Mary Lou asked herself.

" _Guten morgen_ ," she said in perfect German to her further surprise. "My name is Mary Lou Dobbins and I…" The birch branches hummed and vibrated, and she thrust them towards the dark ceiling, _"ICH BIN KRAMPUS!"_ she declared, her soft reedy voice dropping to a low alto and a strange warmth filling her, causing her to gasp. Mary Lou quickly cleared her head to address the children.

"Indeed, I am Krampus, and I am pleased to tell you that you will be returned to your homes today. But I warn you that should I ever be called to reclaim you, your suffering upon your return shall be most dire, **that what you have felt before shall seem a BLOODY** ** _REWARD_** **in comparison!"** and her implacable voice was as cold steel. Mary Lou stood as tall as her five foot height would allow, her arms crossed, birch branches in hand.

"Will I need to come back for any of you?"

"No Krampus."

"Will you behave yourselves from now on?"

"Yes Krampus."

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes Krampus!"

"Very well!" Mary Lou squeezed Ernst's shoulder. "Be sure to thank Mr. Müller for his service to you as you enter the bags. Go!"

The children did as they were instructed, the children shaking hands with and often hugging Ernst as he directed them to a sack. Mary Lou shook her own head, surprised at herself and what had come over her. As she had lived in Pennsylvania Dutch country, she was no stranger to speaking the occasional smattering of German, what was surprising was that speaking English had never occurred to her.

Ernst approached her. "You carried yourself very well, Mary Lou. See if you can put the bags into the basket."

She was about to object, they would have to weigh a quarter ton at least, but then she remembered. "Spirits are light, aren't they?" she asked with a grin.

"Yes they are, Mary Lou, when the rod has not been spared. When the naughty are collected, the spirits are heavy with sin. For that reason, you must become stronger."

 _Oh great_ , she thought. Mary Lou could run almost effortlessly, but as far as upper body strength was concerned, she had struggled to lift a naked bar ten times on the rare occasions she would visit the high school gym. But she resolved to make the best of it, as she took the sacks and gently placed them in the wicker basket.

"Remember to lock the cell doors, Mary Lou. Only you can open them, and we don't want Karl or Hazel accidentally locking themselves inside."

Again she raised her birch branches. On Ernst's instruction she held the branches in the middle and mimed slamming shut a prison door. "Lock cells one through one hundred!" she declared. A hundred clangs echoed through the dungeon.

"All right, Krampus, let's go to the surface!" Toting the basket on her back, she followed Ernst back the way they came and then out a side door to the frozen inner bailey and then the outer courtyard, unlocking and locking the doors as she went.

Observing the security, Mary Lou asked if there had ever been an escape.

"Never! And a single escape is grounds for a grade of 'unsatisfactory' at the end of the term evaluation for the one who allows it. So you will not allow it, _ja_?"

" _Jawohl, Herr Müller!"_ She followed him into a chamber on the outer wall that turned out to be where the reindeer were stabled.

"You have six reindeer, but only four are needed on _Krampusnacht_. Let's take three, and I will show you how to harness them. Go place the basket on the Iron Sleigh.

She did so, and Ernst instructed her on how to attach and fasten the four to the sleigh. They then entered it. The Iron Sleigh was an older model, with the few instruments all analog but one.

"This is the time circuit. Remember how the children would be returned as they were just after Christmas."

"We're going back to 2014?!"

"And 2015 and 2016! Unlike, Santa who has to work under incredible time restraints, you will enjoy a leisurely flight if you so desire. I generally travel around the world going West when the children would be asleep, but it's at your discretion now."

"I'll follow your lead then, Ernst. Who are our first two parolees?"

"It is… Park Heon Woo. Icheon, Republic of Korea, and Li Chun of Shanghai, China"

"Well, bring them up front!" Ernst reached behind them and summoned the two children, now dressed in white snow suits and stocking caps."

"Hi there!" said Mary Lou in her normal voice. "Ready to go?" They nodded at her, eyes wide.

"HYAAAHH!" At the snap of the reins, the sleigh accelerated smoothly, lifting steadily and circling around.

"Fly-by over Santa!" she ordered and within minutes they were doing a figure eight over the North Pole, to the delight of Chun and Heon Woo.

"All right guys, on to Incheon, South Korea!"

" _ICH_ eon," insisted Ernst. "There's a difference. I'll show it to you."

As it turned out, Incheon was a large city bordering Seoul while Icheon was a smaller town to the southeast. They landed on the roof of a large apartment building, and Mary Lou took Heon Woo by the hand.

"Um…heh-heh…er, now what?" Ernst burst out laughing at his successor's obvious discomfort. "Work the problem, Krampus!"

Muttering under her breath, she took the boy downstairs with her. The boy pointed out his apartment on the eleventh floor, and with a flick of the branches, they entered. She let him lead her to where a small boy was sleeping.

"Welcome home, Heon Woo," she whispered with a smile. He threw her arms around her and when she instinctively placed her hand on the shoulder of the sleeping boy, the spirit seemed to dissolve. The sleeping boy stirred, turning his face just enough for Mary Lou to see him smiling in his dreams.

"Ah, you found his proper place. Good job!"

"It was really very easy, Ernst. I just checked the list of apartments, found the name 'Park' and dropped him off. Piece of cake." She was not disappointed, Ernst's face went white.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY 'PARKS' THERE ARE IN KOREA!?" he gasped. Mary Lou grinned.

"Gotcha!"

Ernst buried his face in his hands, gasping. " _Bitte_ , don't do that, Mary Lou. For future reference, you need only flick the branches while holding the child and you shall both be taken next to where the child lays."

She repeated the process for Chun, and then dropped two children off in Japan, and one each in Australia and New Zealand.

As Judy suggested, completing the day's work was not at all difficult. They finished returning the children from 2016, then looped back around for eight children taken in 2015 and again back into 2014.

"We are nearly finished, Mary Lou. Just two more deliveries to go." He reached back and withdrew Leo Aubertin and Chloe Vannatter.

"Mary Lou Dobbins, I'd like you to meet Leo from France and Chloe from South Africa. They served as my domestic help, and may I suggest you do the same with a few of your prisoners when the time comes. Productive work is an excellent teaching tool."

"I'll keep that in mind." Turning to the children, she again introduced herself and then gently popped the reins. "Nyons, France!"

Mary checked the list: _Aubertin, Leo, 543 Rue Montpellier, Nyons ED3 K11, FRANCE_ , and let the reindeer land on the roof. Leo shook hands with Ernst, hugged Chloe, and stepped from the sleigh, taking Mary Lou's hand. She pulled him close, gave the branches a flick, and they arrived next to Leo in bed.

" _Au revior_ , Leo," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek, and then vanishing, back to the sleigh.

She finished her last delivery in Cape Town, South Africa. "Shall we all go together," asked Mary Lou. The three locked arms and they arrived in Chloe's room. Chloe saw herself sleeping.

"Wow!" she said quietly. "Is that really me?"

"I suppose that is a matter of how you look at it," answered Ernst. "What you _see_ is your physical body. But this," he ran his fingers over Chloe's spirit, "this is what you _are_. And now it is time to reunite the two. Goodbye, Chloe." Chloe threw her arms around the former Krampus, and then smiled up at the new one. "I am ready."

Mary Lou smiled back and placed her hand on the shoulder of the sleeping Chloe and took the hand of the wide awake one. A surge of magic and the transfer was completed. Another flick of the branches and they were back on the sleigh.

"Shall we go home," she asked.

"We should probably find a lonely stretch of beach to switch the time circuits back to 2016, but otherwise, yes. On to _Eisenhochburg!"_

"How long did all that take?" They were now flying directly north along the 30th parallel.

"Altogether? Just eight hours, and we weren't exactly rushing things. "Based on what I've seen so far, you will do well in this job, Mary Lou."

"And yet, this is the easy, happy part, isn't it? I mean, when it comes to handing down discipline and punishment, I'm really not all that imposing and intimidating, am I? That kind of worries me."

Ernst saw her concern and took the girl gently by the chin. "You were intimidating enough in the prison already. You will learn, Mary Lou, you will learn! By the time the next _Krampusnacht_ rolls around, you will know enough, and be intimidating without even thinking about it!"

They landed at _Eisenhochburg,_ and Ernst gave her a full tour. The Iron Stronghold's living quarters was the size of a small mansion, with a library, study, staff quarters, 5 bedrooms including a large master bedroom with the library and study attached on one side and the master bathroom on the other. There was also a full kitchen and sitting room for entertaining guests.

"I don't expect you'll be entertaining too many guests," Ernst informed Mary Lou. "But you have high speed internet provided by the Legendary Figures Service. Fully complimentary, mind you. Food supplies are provided by the North Pole, and you can special order through the LFS intranet."

"And what about the dungeons?"

"They have their own kitchen and facilities. As they are the spirits of children, they don't require food, but we don't want them to become, er, dispirited, so we do feed them a basic meal just the same."

Mary Lou bit her lip, it wasn't something she wanted to ask, but felt she must. "Ernst, I don't want to insult you by asking this question, but you didn't…the powers that be aren't asking me to _torture_ kids, are they?" she asked, wincing slightly.

He smiled at her. "You are wise in asking that question. No. The incarceration alone is sufficient once you have brought them here, though you will occasionally use the birch branches against the more resistant children to move them along. And your time during most of the year is spent rehabilitating them. You are a force for _good."_

Ernst thought a moment. "Now one more thing I must show you before we return, Mary Lou. Are those branches comfortable?"

"I was wondering about that, since when I was returning the kids, I'd be placing the branches under my arm so I would have both hands free."

"Indeed," Ernst affected an upper-class British accent. "Now pay attention, 007," Mary Lou stifled a laugh, "this appears to be an ordinary amulet on a chain. But when you hit the branches with it three times quickly, the branches appear on it as a small carving for your convenience. To retrieve them, you simply tap the carving with your index finger three times whilst saying 'branches.'" He placed the amulet over her neck. Now you try it."

( _tap, tap, tap_ ) "Branches!" The Birch Bundle appeared in her empty hand. She tapped it back onto the amulet.

"Rather brings new meaning to Q-Branch, doesn't it?" she joked. Ernst groaned.

 _ **AUTHORS NOTE:**_ **Thank you all so much for the reviews, they do mean a lot. On the implied advice of one, I saw the movie** _ **Frozen**_ **for the first time and was very impressed by it, so Ella, I thank you for that!**


	8. Chapter 8 - The Return Home

Dinner at the Dobbin's house was eaten in near silence. Daniel had gone into the office to prepare some accounts that would be dealt with on Tuesday, and then he and Catherine would be gone for another two weeks dealing with those accounts and clients in London and Amsterdam. He had returned about an hour ago, and was calmly furious at what the web search for Krampus had revealed.

"' _Warning: opening this package may result in temporary loss of humanity for half a millennium_ ,' that would have been a considerate label, don't you think?" he had asked, only partly sarcastically.

After eating, they had rinsed and washed the dishes. As she was putting them in the dishwasher, Catherine heard a knocking on the door. Daniel got there before she did and opened the door to reveal Judy and another elf, this one somewhat chubby with silver glasses.

"…What do you want, Judy?" Daniel's voice was ice.

Judy swallowed hard, she hadn't expected this reception. "My apologies, Mr. Dobbins, but we do have things to discuss. This is Curtis, the elf second in command and keeper of the Book."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Dobbins," said Curtis, extending his hand. It was refused.

"Come in," said Dobbins. "Be quick about it." The two elves came in, finding seats in the living room. Curtis opened his beige leather business folder and withdrew four documents.

"Now as recent events have revealed to you the existence of legendary figures by way of your daughter and sister recently joining the ranks, you are now privy to information and privileges as a result. They are all spelled out on these agreements," said Curtis briskly. "Naturally, we want to keep the mythical aspects of these figures mythical. My friends, all we ask in return is that you keep silent about the factual existence of Santa Claus, the North Pole, and Krampus. Of course it is all right to discuss them from the standpoint of being mythical, but to tell people that you are a relative of a mythical figure, yes, now that would be something else entirely, we cannot allow that. Any questions?"

"Yes," said Catherine. "Is my daughter going to remain fully human?"

"…We don't know for sure one way or the other," said Judy.

"Well, no problem then," said Daniel. "Was the last Krampus, that Mr. Ernst Müller, I believe his name was; was _he_ fully human while serving as Krampus?"

"Um…no he wasn't, not during the holiday season anyway, as far as I know," answered Judy. "But remember that we don't know how or if the magic will affect her," she said hurriedly.

"I see," said Daniel, nodding his head in exaggeration. "What about Scott Calvin? Did he look like Santa Claus when he first arrived?"

"No."

"Judy, in your centuries of experience, has anyone retained their original identity or remained human when the avatar of their office showed otherwise?"

"No, Mrs. Dobbins," said Judy quietly.

"What should I tell Mary Lou when she comes back and, if she hasn't already, looks up _Krampus_ on the internet and sees the photos, cartoons, and other images? Based on what you have said so far, notifying her hasn't been much of a priority."

Judy sniffed deeply. "You are her parents. You may tell her what you wish. We can make guesses about what will happen to her but we cannot be certain. It is your choice to either tell her your suspicions now, or you can wait until she starts to change… _if_ she starts to change. I leave it to you to decide which is better. However, what is not open to negotiation is the signing of these acknowledgements of the Secret of Santa. They must be read and signed."

"What if we refuse?" asked Todd. "Or what if we violate the agreement?"

The elf's face hardened, her voice was clipped: "Then Mary Lou's service at the end of 500 years may be deemed unsatisfactory, and she would forfeit all benefits. Also, at the Council's discretion, the office of Krampus would pass to the nearest living relative. They may also require you to spend the balance of Mary Lou's term in the Iron Stronghold's dungeons. We take this very seriously, Todd, so I _suggest you_ ** _sign_** _the documents!_ "

Todd signed with a sigh, followed by his mother and father. Curtis read, notarized, and put the contracts back into the folder. "Please keep this fourth copy for reference," he said, "but of course keep it secure, to be seen only by this family."

"If you have no further questions, we will be off," said Judy. Halfway out the door, she turned to them with a sad smile; "I _am_ sorry" she said, and departed.

* * *

"Were you able to get the papers signed?"

"We did, Bernard. They were very upset, and they asked some pointed questions about what will happen to Mary Lou."

Santa, passing by, overheard Judy. "What did you tell them?"

"Santa, I told them we didn't know and that they would have to decide what is best for Mary Lou to hear. They aren't stupid people, sir."

"Good," he said. "That's fine." He smiled at Judy. "I gotta assume Mary Lou's going to be angry anyway. Better that the anger be focused on me. Daniel and Cathy and Todd need to be there for her."

"Where is she anyway? She and Ernst must have finished by now," asked Curtis.

"They finished the run," Santa answered. "They should be back soon, but they are probably touring the castle. I'll be dropping off Mary Lou first thing tomorrow morning."

It was with a feeling of guilt that Santa flew his sleigh for the third time in four days towards Elizabethtown. The two legendaries took turns with the reins. It wasn't till they had crossed the St. Lawrence that Mary Lou ventured into the territory he'd been fearing. Yet it was merely a hesitant shuddering sigh that he barely noticed.

"Is everything all right, Mary Lou? Looks like you have something on your mind."

"Um, well, everyone's been really nice." She chuckled. "But, y'know, with all the training and learning to do the _job_ of Krampus I never even took the time to learn about him. Or her, as I guess is the case now."

Scott laughed. "I guess it is. I often wondered what would happen if a woman picked up the Santa suit. Coulda happened!"

"Can't believe I didn't think to ask this before," she muttered. Her voice quavered slightly, "What does Krampus look like, Santa?"

"Well, Krampus has been described as…"

" **No**. Come on, Scott. What did Ernst look like before turning the Birch Bundle over to you?"

Scott closed his eyes. "All right. Mary Lou…he had horns…he had fangs…he was covered with fur…he had a tail."

Mary breathed deeply, a few deep breaths, then looked at her trembling hands. Scott knew it wasn't from the cold. "O-O-kay. And…um…when you became Santa…w-when did you start to…um…change?" Mary swallowed audibly.

"Things started happening around March. But Mary Lou, there is no guarantee that you are going to be changing physically."

"Yeah. Right." she squeaked. "No guarantees. Oh, yeah. I _so_ wish I could believe that. Scott, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

This he could answer straight, "Mary Lou, my concern was making sure that you were able to fulfill the duties of the office, and Ernst said you did an excellent job, so we don't have that to worry about any more. And I am telling you the truth when I say we don't know for sure. Keep in mind that Ernst was either the first or second Krampus, so we really don't have much of a record to work with," and now Santa wondered if he had sabotaged his protégée before she even got started.

"All right, Santa. I'll accept that explanation."

 _I'm terrified now, but I'll accept it_ , she thought, her face stiff.

* * *

They landed in the morning when it was still dark. Santa took her by both hands. "Mary Lou, Judy and Curtis were here yesterday, explaining the Secret of Santa and the non-disclosure agreement. I'm sure you know what that is, right?" Mary Lou nodded in agreement. "You can't tell anyone beyond your immediate family that you are now Krampus, and they already know."

"Okay."

"Mary Lou, when it is time for you to come to the Pole, and that will be no later than All Saints Day, the first of November, I will send a sleigh to pick you up. But, if you feel that you need to come back sooner, simply take the branches or the amulet, tap it on the back three times and say 'Sleigh to the Pole, sleigh to the Pole, sleigh to the pole."

"Okay."

He studied her face, the grayish-blue eyes, the slight speckling of freckles on her pink cheeks. "Remember, you will be performing a service arguably even more important than mine. The influence _you_ have over a child may span decades."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said absently. "Bye." Mary Lou left the sled and entered her home. It was a little after six in the morning, and the first thing she did was turn on her computer to do a search for Krampus.

"Oh shit," she whispered, as she saw the pictures of the creature and read the narrative description of the legend. "Oh my God…omigod…" Demon, did that mean that she would lose her soul because of this? No, surely that wasn't a concern, not if her objective was the rehabilitation of children, not their corruption. Looking at the pictures though, is that what she would become?

Her heart thumping, she went to the bathroom, stripping off her clothes, examining herself thoroughly for any changes, whimpering slightly as she did so, but as far as she could tell it was the same body she'd had for the past two or three years; her legs didn't even need shaving and her eyebrows were the same light strips she'd always had. Trying to calm herself, Mary Lou indulged herself with a long hot shower and after that went back down for breakfast.

* * *

2016 became 2017. Mary Lou's parents flew off to Europe on business, and Todd drove back to Pittsburgh for the second half of his sophomore year in college.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right, Mary Lou?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll be fine. If anything happens, it's not going to be for at least a month or so, most likely." She noticed him staring at her face. "And I'll send you a bunch of pictures of how I look now," her face fell slightly, "just in case…the next time." She smiled again. "Hey, I've got an important job at least, right?"

Brother and sister held each other tighter than they had in far too long a time, and Todd departed for Pittsburgh.

She was determined to finish her last year of high school strong, but she realized that if she had to be gone by the end of October, graduation wouldn't be possible. Her first day back to school in January, she checked with her guidance counselor for her options.

"But Mary Lou, you are on track to graduate in December. Is dropping out in October really something you need to do?"

"I'm afraid I will have some obligations to fulfill that I cannot freely discuss. My parents are fully aware of them and they understand."

"Well that's a relief." She checked out Mary Lou's Permanent Record™ and discovered that if she picked up two additional credits in summer school, she would only need a single credit in the fall semester.

"You could do that through a simple correspondence course." She flipped over a page, and her eyes narrowed. "But I see here that you need an additional half credit in physical education."

"Any way I could do that by correspondence?"

"No way, honey. We have an opening in weightlifting; do you want to take that now?"

"Yeah, fine. Let's get that over with," said Mary in resignation. Ernst did say that she would be needing the strength before too long, she reminded herself. She took her updated schedule and tardiness pass and went on to AP English Lit.

January ended, and Mary Lou found that the weightlifting class was more beneficial than she could have imagined. Her slim form had never had much fat – or muscle, but with only three weeks worth of weight training, her appearance showed a bit more definition. The exercise also helped her concentrate in her other classes, leaving her with more free time rather than less as she feared.

George interviewed and accepted four additional students on the debate team, all sophomores, on Mary Lou's recommendation. They won two of three debates in January. The Saturday following the third debate, a narrow loss to Penn Manor, Mary Lou met with Sarah and Natalia for a shopping trip in Philadelphia.

"What did you have in mind to do first?" asked Sarah.

"Thinking of getting my hair done," answered Natalia.

"Oooh, yeah," agreed Mary Lou. "But just a trim for me."

"Did you ever think of letting it grow out a bit? You have the body for it."

"Ah, we've had this conversation before, Sarah. Simple, short and low maintenance."

They found a salon, a longtime favorite of Natalia's in the Shops at Liberty Place. One stylist took care of each teen.

"And you said you just want a shampoo and trim?" Wanda asked Mary Lou.

"That's all right, isn't it?"

"Sure, we do that all the time. Let's do the trim first." Mary followed Wanda to a chair. "Let's see what we have," Wanda said. "What kind of blonde dye do you use, this looks completely natural?"

"I've been blonde my whole life," laughed Mary. "Why?"

"Did you know you have dark roots?"

"…What? Can I see?" Wanda handed her the handheld mirror and Mary Lou saw that she was right; maybe a quarter inch of her hair had darkened to nearly black. She handed back the mirror, eyes wide.

"That's normal though, right? I'm seventeen years old, blonde hair getting darker?"

Wanda shrugged. "It is kinda late, but yes, I'm sure it's normal. Do you want to lighten it up some?"

After an uneasy day shopping, which was for Mary Lou just a walk around downtown Philly, she was dropped off by Sarah. She quickly greeted her parents and headed back upstairs to the bathroom. She ran her fingers through her hair and saw that it was true; the roots had darkened considerably, both on her scalp and her eyebrows.

She took off her shirt and realized that her muscles were more defined, but she wasn't sure if it was simply the result of her working out or something else. No, what worried her more was when she realized that it wasn't just her head that was showing darker hair roots.

It's normal, she told herself. It's just a regular part of growing up.


	9. Chapter 9 - The March to June

**Author's Note:** **HAPPY NEW YEAR! Love the reviews I've been getting. It did hurt a bit to write Judy being chewed out by Dan and Catherine; she really was my favorite elf – fantastic job, Paige Tamada. At the same time, yes, there needed to be some words exchanged, realistically, it would hard to be cordial to people responsible, even just indirectly, for drastically altering your child's life…a process that will cover the next two or three somewhat shorter chapters.**

Over the next month, Mary Lou watched as her hair grew an inch and a half over the course of thirty-one days, leaving her with a broad swath on the top of her head by the end of March. It wasn't the color that was disturbing as much as the rate involved, nearly three times what is normal.

"Are you going Goth on us Mary Lou?" Chris asked, ruffling her hair.

She laughed weakly, yet couldn't really bring herself to smile afterwards. "No, Chris but I don't know what's going on. From blonde to black roots? In a month? That doesn't make any sense."

"Have you any… _hypothesis_ on what might be causing it?"

"Hmmmm," said Mary Lou, stroking an imaginary beard while combing her hair back in place with her fingers, "Vell, zince you ask, I sink it might be ze veight trainink I do, _ja_?" She abandoned her intentionally poor German accent. "That's the only thing I've done differently, you think that might be it?"

"Might be," said Chris. "You've definitively been hitting the weights. It has been all natural, hasn't it," he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mary Lou snorted, offended, "Yes it's been all natural! I'm not an idiot!"

"Whoa, easy there! Just covering all the bases."

Mary Lou smiled, "Sorry, I know you are, Chris. It's freaking me out a little bit." She rolled up her sleeve. "But check out this bicep."

He felt her arm. It wasn't excessively bulky, but there was definition and there didn't seem to be an ounce of fat.

"How much time do you spend actually lifting?"

"Actually lifting, leaving aside dressing and showering and instruction? Maybe twenty-five minutes to half an hour."

"And nothing outside of class?"

"No. I never was one for working out; I'm just trying to get that PE credit I needed."

Chris knew that some people put on muscle faster than others, but that little training shouldn't have resulted in such a significant gain. "Did you ever train to muscle failure?"

"Once or twice, generally though, I would switch to something else before that point." Chris's eyes narrowed.

"That's…odd. Based on what you're telling me Mary Lou, there is no way that you should be that cut. Have you noticed any other changes?"

"No," she lied. Changes in what happened to her every four weeks, and the replacement of what had once been a small blonde patch with a thickening black triangle wasn't any of his business, she decided.

Midway through April, not only had the hair on her scalp grown another inch, but it had flattened, picking up a definite curl as it grew.

"Sweetheart, how tall are you?"

"…Five even, Daddy, why?"

"Have you measured yourself recently?"

"I'm five feet and two inches? That's impossible."

Daniel wrapped an arm around his daughter. "Normally I would agree, but not after what we have seen, hon. A five foot Krampus is not all that intimidating."

Mary Lou's head dropped. "How far is this gonna _go_?"

He looked at her curiously. "What else have you noticed?"

"I guess, other than height, just additional hair growth. I've…filled out," motioning below her waistline. "Also, my cycle seems to have stopped. And no Dad, I haven't and no, I'm not."

Daniel sighed, burying his face in his hands. "Well, I guess you know that's not normal, and you probably know what it is. But do you want to go to a doctor just to make sure you aren't actually sick?"

"Yes, Daddy, I do, and at the same time, no I don't." She touched him by the arm. "Look, whatever happens to my body…I am the Krampus, end of story, good day. And short of Armageddon, I am…oh God…I am the Krampus for five hundred years." She trembled slightly as the enormity of that declaration hit home.

* * *

By May, Mary Lou had grown to five feet and five inches tall. The last of her straight blonde hair held on for one more week till it was just touching her shoulders and she decided to join Natalia and Sarah on another trip to Philadelphia.

"What happened to you, girl?"

"I don't know for sure, but it's time for me to embrace my brunette self." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Cut the blonde!" she commanded.

"Did you want me to trim your eyebrows, too?"

She sighed and nodded. Not that it would do any good; the eyebrows had long ago surrendered the last of their blonde hairs, and seemed to be getting thicker by the day.

With the blonde hair gone for good, the natural curl that had come with the black hair drew it up into loose curls, making both of her friends gasp. Mary Lou was stunned; she had nearly had the same hair as a tween Annette Funicello.

The following Monday, Mary Lou was awakened by the music of her radio alarm clock. Slapping it off, she got up, stretched, and headed to the bathroom. She washed her face…and froze.

Fine black hairs, barely noticeable except under the fluorescent lights of her bathroom, had grown on her arms, seemingly overnight, running from the back of her hands and stopping just behind her elbows.

"What the hell?" she murmured. She undressed for her shower and needed shave…and to her shock was greeted by legs that appeared to have never seen razor, wax, or laser. She pulled at one of the wiry curls and whimpered when she saw that it was at least an inch long. An examination under her arms revealed a similar growth.

"Shit," she gasped. "Oh shit." She soaked herself in hot water, lathered herself up, and shaved thoroughly. She rinsed, stepped out and got dressed.

The same thing happened the next day, except that she realized that the hair on her arms was longer than the day before and stiffer.

Throughout the rest of the month, the same pattern continued; shaving in the morning, then waking up the next day to see the growth fully returned…only slightly longer each time…always with a few more shorter hairs joining the longer ones.

Weightlifting became easier and easier, and the instructor had started encouraging her to try out for the high school team. It also became more and more embarrassing as she would be fairly bristly by the afternoon when weightlifting class was held, and there were plenty of averted eyes, smirks, and whispered comments about her lower abdomen that were just loud enough for her to hear.

Even after leaving the weightlifting class, finishing school in mid June, her muscles continued expanding and she gained another two inches in height, the rapid growth leaving her body sore most of the time. The hair on her head thickened, straight and curly hairs weaving around each other to give her head a shaggy appearance. She began using hairspray and mousse to keep it under control. She also began noticing a tingling sensation that she would feel for a few seconds at a time every so often.

With a free week between leaving school and starting summer school, Mary Lou looked forward to some relaxation free of guilt. Shaving was becoming a burden as each leg was requiring two razors now, and she swore she could almost feel the hairs growing.

On Saturday night, the weekend before going to summer school, Mary Lou went to bed, her body tingling more than before.

She fought the urge to cry, but she had to face the terrible fact that the only question regarding her appearance now was how much of herself would she have left by November.

"All I ask," she prayed softly, "is just that I can recognize myself. I just want to be able to see my own face in the mirror."

Mary Lou slept fitfully, her body tingling, then itching, then tingling. Her dreams were a series of nightmares of which the most pleasant involved being swarmed by spiders.

She woke up and moaned when she saw her body. Her muscular arms and legs were those of a hairy man, coarse and wiry. It was getting expensive to maintain, but she got a package of razor blades and set to work.

She finished her left leg and began working on the right one when she noticed that she could already see stubble emerging. Mary Lou wasn't even halfway done with her right leg when, to her horror, the curly hair on her left was right where it had been. She finished her right leg, and stared as it went from bare to wild in less than three minutes. At least her arms and armpits would stay shaven.

Until the afternoon.

Mary Lou tried the same thing the next day, with the same result, but now the hair was growing back within two minutes on her arms as well, and it would be thicker each time.

She finally broke down on the third day. The hairs on her legs were over two inches long and shaving was now useless. She began to sob as she watched the shaven patch on her thigh sprout and be covered in black curls.

"Go _away_!" she said, weeping. _"Go AWAY! P-please!"_ But the hair wasn't even allowing her skin to be bare for more than a few seconds, as soon as she finished a swathe, where it had started would already be filled in.

Quaking in fear, near panic, she forced herself look at herself in the mirror. She had almost reached the point where the skin on her legs could no longer be seen, merging into the coarse black mat of hair that covered her lower abdomen from her upper inner thighs to her belly button, from where a thin swathe continued upwards towards her collarbone. She turned and saw with a whimper, a similar line of curls running down her spine into a patch of hair on her lower back. Thick patches of hair filled her armpits.

It was not going away. And it wasn't even July.

Mary Lou tried to calm herself. She was definitely hirsute, there was no getting around it, there was no way to alleviate it, and it was going to get worse. Beyond that, though, she was essentially "normal" for the time being and as by now she was no stranger to rude comments, so she could still finish up the summer semester.

"Okay, Mary Lou, you can do this," she told herself. "Just finish up the term, you can do it…as long as you don't develop horns…or fangs…or claws…or a tail…or pointy ears…" She looked back up into the mirror, the muscles, the monobrow that she had missed up to that point, at how much her body had already changed, heart pounding as she felt the full realization that she would have to bear all of that and more.

She was going to be a monster.

" _Nein, bitte_. God, _no_ …" It hadn't even occurred to her that her pleas were in German as she wrapped her arms around herself and sank to the floor, her body trembling with sobs.

 **Author's Note: This seemed like the most reasonable progression of the transformation, beginning with things that could be rationally explained, or at least human in origin. On one hand, I wanted this to be a fairly descriptive narrative of what is happening to Mary Lou both physically and psychologically. On the other hand, I didn't want to be too graphic either, so there was some deliberate vagueness; I hope you'll pardon me for beating around the…well, anyway. Feedback is welcomed, and again, Happy New Year.**


	10. Chapter 10 - A Painful Longing

Catherine heard her daughter's sobs and hurried to Mary Lou's room. "Sweetheart, may I come in?"

"One…j-just a moment…"

Mary Lou came out with a towel wrapped around her body. "Mom…" Mary Lou shook her head. "Mom, I c-can't shave anymore! It just…grows…right back…within seconds!" She squealed in frustration and fear and Catherine put her arms around her, guiding Mary Lou to the bed.

"How bad has it gotten?" Mary Lou took a deep breath, stood up, and removed the towel. Catherine's hands went to her mouth.

"It's bad, Mom." she said. "And we're not even through June."

Catherine examined her daughter's body. "Those muscles, they aren't just from weightlifting, are they?" Mary Lou shook her head.

"All right," said Catherine. "You have a lot of body hair now. But as long as you keep your clothes on, it doesn't look all that abnormal; lots of girls have had to put up with it. How does it feel?"

Mary Lou sat down, shrugging. "Other than the fact that I know it's going to keep getting worse, it's fine."

"You do know, Mary Lou, you're going to be eighteen years old in October. You don't have to go to summer school. You can graduate in December just as easily."

"Yes, but unfortunately, I have unavoidable career obligations that I'll have to perform. I'd prefer to at least be fully qualified to graduate before then. Too bad I won't be able to make the graduation ceremony."

Catherine understanding, nodded, absently fingering the line of hair on her daughter's back. She looked closer at the growth. At the edges, the hairs grew from healthy pink skin, but looking closer, the pink faded into white, and moving towards the center, the white darkened to slate grey.

Mary Lou's eyes widened when Catherine brought it to her attention. She excused herself and went to the bathroom.

It was true, she discovered as she probed the hair below her navel, her skin wasn't just producing more follicles; downy fuzz was also developing on the darkened area. Her skin was becoming a pelt.

* * *

Mary Lou kept her promise to herself and began attending summer classes in Economics and American Government. Her parents had provided her with some lightly colored long sleeve shirts to reflect the sun while keeping her skin hidden.

Fortunately for Mary Lou, the summer of 2017 in Lancaster County wasn't that hot.

"Mary…Dobbins, is that right?" She turned and saw one of the boys from the class, a short young man from another high school.

"Mary Lou, but yes it is. I didn't get your name."

"Matt Warner. I'm going to be a junior at Manheim in late August." Not that it mattered, given her circumstances, but he was too young, she thought.

"I should have been going into my senior year, but, er, you know, things happen with time management…"

 _This was getting better all the time_ , thought Mary Lou. "It's nice to meet you, Matt," she said, hoping that was enough.

"Listen, Mary Lou, I saw you in class, and you obviously know what's going on. I was wondering if you might help me out. I'd hate to lose another year."

Instinct told her to forget it, he most likely wanted something more than a study partner – and even with the changes she'd experienced, she was still quite attractive – but even then, close study would lead to uncomfortable questions she couldn't answer.

Still, Mary Lou was intrigued.

"Buy me lunch," she said with a grin, "and we'll talk about it."

She allowed him to drive her to a nearby smorgasbord and they helped themselves to the generous layout of meats and vegetables. "So Matt, what are you needing help with in understanding? The material is pretty straightforward, isn't it? It's not like math or science."

"You're right, but there is a lot to remember, but the upper level parts of it are confusing. Electoral college, districting and redistricting, committee decision making, that sort of thing."

Mary Lou nodded; he did have a point there. "How familiar are you with the US Constitution?"

"I don't have it memorized or anything, but I have a solid grasp of it," he answered.

"Except for the electoral college?"

"Right," he admitted, blushing slightly. That was sufficient for Mary Lou, if nothing else, he would be interesting to talk to.

"All right, Matthew," she said with a gentle smile. "Let's start meeting for an hour after class then."

As they drove back, Mary Lou couldn't help noticing that he was stealing glances at her. She moaned inwardly. It wasn't that he was unattractive, he had a pleasant tan face under wavy light brown hair, and the loss of her monthly cycle did nothing to decrease her own desires, if anything, it had enhanced them. Now, of course, it would be so pointless.

On the other hand, what did she have to lose?

 _My self-respect_ , she shot back to herself immediately. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to Matthew. It was mid-July and she knew there were only so many weeks before it was obvious to everyone that she was changing into something non-human, the darkening leathery skin was proof enough of that.

Mary Lou had another night of nightmares, and then woke for her daily routine of checking the damages. If she was changing during the day, they changes were a lot slower, but during the night they seemed to accelerate. The dense line of hair that had run from her belly button to her collarbone had been spreading outward, as had the strip on her back. She could no longer see her skin on the front or inside of the upper third of her thigh, and there was the grey skin underneath. Mary Lou's eyebrows were now a dense strip nearly an inch wide that was starting to merge with the hair at her temples, but beyond that, her face had not yet been affected.

She was nearly six feet tall now, and looking quite athletic or at least what could be seen did. She got in the shower, soaping up and washing vigorously.

Something felt odd as she washed the toes of her right foot. She rinsed and as she did so, the nails fell out. She fought the urge to scream, and looking closer at the toes; she saw a black spot in the center of each nail bed.

* * *

They were wrapping up the hour after their fourth study session at his dining room table. Matt proved to be an interesting study partner, asking clever questions. His problem seemed to be more of a lack of memory techniques and a considerable lack of industriousness.

"Mary Lou, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"One that has nothing to do with government, I take it." She smiled, knowing where this was going. "Go ahead."

"Why do you wear your shirt buttoned up like that?"

"I had a feeling that you were going to ask me sooner or later. I have a medical condition that doctors haven't really figured out. It's not fatal or contagious, but it is getting worse…" She extended her arm, and Matt unbuttoned the sleeve.

"My God," he breathed. The hair growth wasn't as long or dense on her arms as it was on her legs, but it was certainly out of the ordinary. He gently tugged on one of the hairs; it was nearly an inch and a half long.

"Well, it doesn't look that bad. Is the rest of you…" She nodded; a sad smile on her face. "I really am a freak, Matthew. I wish I could say that's just hyperbole, but it looks like I'll be covered with it by the end of next year."

"Maybe. But a very cuddly-looking freak, I would say…who can probably bench two hundred pounds."

"Thanks," she said. Mary Lou was on the verge of tears, under normal conditions, she wouldn't mind getting closer to him, and her mind was struggling to control the body. "Listen Matt, I really appreciate your interest – but I'm going to be headed for a specialist up north before too long. You're a great study partner, but I don't want you getting your hopes up or anything."

He nodded. "Would you believe me if I told you I was just curious?"

"I'd believe you if you dropped the 'just.' Look, I had better go. See you Monday?"

"Yeah, sure, have a good weekend."

She was sure that a small hug wouldn't hurt…but changed her mind at the last minute and got into her Toyota Camry.

Driving home, her lower legs began tingling fiercely and she noticed sharp pains in her feet. Both sensations were at her toes, but the pains differed. Arriving home, she went upstairs to her room, and immediately began stripping off her shoes and socks.

"Oh my God!" screamed Mary Lou, losing her balance and handing hard on her backside while clutching her left foot

It was hard to say which was more alarming. What had been five black dots on her right foot where her toe nails had been were now obviously five nascent black claws emerging. On her left foot, the big toe and index toe had fused together as had her fourth and fifth. The nails of all five had disappeared.

The tingling sensation intensified. Mary Lou stared, horrified, as she watched the soles of her feet turn white and then darken to grey as wiry hairs began sprouting before her eyes, flowing out of her skin and developing into a coarse mat on the arch between her heels and toes before stopping.

With her shoes now worthless, she went to her parent's room to borrow a pair from her father so that she could go out for some necessary shopping.

* * *

Following that, the transformation as a whole seemed to slow down over the rest of July and the first half of August, with the significant exception being her feet. Her claws grew out a full two inches on her right foot, while on her left; the remaining two toes each grew a thick nail reminiscent of a hoof. The dark grey skin on her soles spread over her feet and up just past her ankles while the hair on them thickened into black fur so dense that she couldn't see the skin even when she probed through it with her fingers.

Her altered feet made walking awkward, but she was determined to get through the final week of summer school. She had already gotten the correspondence books and assignments necessary to finish high school as well as several CLEP study books, though she doubted she would be able to sit for any of the CLEP exams in Harrisburg or York.

It was Thursday, the last week of summer school, the second week of August. The sessions with Matthew had been very successful, and both of them were on track for solid "A" grades.

Mary Lou and Matt were quizzing each other in his room for the "final," really just a twenty-five question quiz itself, but that was the nature of summer school. They had also grown to enjoy each others company, so much so that she struggled inwardly not to let herself be attracted to him. She had occasionally allowed him to hold her hand, but nothing more. Any thought of a more intimate relation had vanished with the alteration of her feet; there was no way she could play that off as merely a "medical condition."

They bounced a few more questions off of each other and knew with certainty that they were prepared.

"Matt, I think we're finished. And we're definitely ready."

"Mary Lou, I want to thank you again for your help. Even without the GPA boost, it would have been a pleasure."

She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "It was a lot of fun."

"Mary Lou," he said hesitantly. "I know you have concerns and obligations, but is there a chance we can see each other again?"

"No, there really isn't – and I'm sorry about that." She stood up. Mary Lou took a deep breath, not sure if it was the right thing to do or not, but felt he deserved the courtesy.

Matt looked at her questioningly, something was up

"Matt, let me show you why…" Mary Lou unbuttoned and removed her pink shirt.

His mind reeled. The front of the muscled girl's torso was matted with curly black hair that ran up from her waistline to her bra. The hair was everywhere on her torso and arms, but thickest on her abdomen, between her breasts, and on her back between her shoulder blades. There the wiry hair hid the skin entirely. Oddly enough, her neck and head – other than her eyebrows – had not been affected.

"I was right," said Matt.

"Oh?"

"You are very cuddly-looking." This time, she let him hug her.

It was the strangest sensation either of them had ever felt, for Matt it was the feeling of her coarse body hair on his hands and arms and through his shirt, and for Mary Lou, the feeling of being hugged by a young man her age even with her bizarre appearance.

They kissed, tenderly at first, then more forcefully.

Mary Lou began reaching for his shirt…

…yet she caught herself, and gently pushed him away.

Matt noticed tears in her eyes; "Matt, I am sorry. I am so sorry…"

She put her shirt back on and left the house.

The following day was the final, and there was very little for either of them to say, just a cordial exchange of best wishes and a final farewell.

It was still worth it, thought Mary Lou to herself, heartbreaking though it was.

August passed into September and Mary Lou's slow transformation continued. The fur that had started on her feet and ankles was creeping up her legs, over her calves and shins. By October, the growth fully covered her knees. The hoof on her left leg had not yet fully developed, but Catherine, Daniel, Todd, and Mary all knew that was what it would become.

Her eighteenth birthday came and went with no significant changes and minimal celebration at Mary Lou's request. It was if her body was preparing itself. The densest hair on her torso now met with the wild growth under her arms and ran down to her elbows and up over her shoulders. Wearing a long sleeve shirt was pointless since the hair spilled out of the collar.

October 16th was a Monday and Mary Lou went to bed early with a pounding headache, having taken the maximum amount of aspirin allowable. She slept, uncomfortable, tossing and turning.

Early Tuesday morning, she felt herself jolted awake, her head throbbing. She stumbled out of bed into the bathroom.

"AAAHHHHH!" She screamed in agony as sharp pains pierced her forehead. Mary Lou brought her hands up and screamed again as she felt twin bulges on her forehead that had not been there previously - and continued too scream in pain and horror as short horns emerged from her head with a series of wet crackling sounds. They were light brown and ridged and grew on her forehead between her eyes and ears. Her single eyebrow seemed to come alive with sprouting hair as it expanded upwards, covering her forehead and merging with the wild curly mass on her head.

 _"No!"_ she screamed. _"No! No! No!"_

Other than that, Mary Lou could only babble incoherently as she attempted to come to grips with her newest change. The horns were only three inches long but two inches wide, their bases covered with the dense, newly grown hair.

And there was no way she could go out looking like this.

* * *

 _Dear Mom, Daddy, and Todd_

 _I wish I was able to tell you in person, but the event I feared finally happened: I grew a set of horns Tuesday morning. It was terribly painful and frightening, so maybe it was for the best._

 _Since that particular alteration, there has been a lot more on my mind. Obviously, I cannot go outside like this, so now I have to say goodbye. I'll be going up close to the North Pole to take on the duties of Krampus, and I suppose continue changing into the role…however extensive that change that may be. Yes, I'm thoroughly terrified._

 _Hopefully we will meet again, and hopefully my new form isn't all that frightening._

 _I can't ever thank you enough; you have all been wonderful for me and I love each of you dearly. God bless you all._

 _Your loving daughter and sister,_

 _Mary Lou_

Placing the farewell letter on the kitchen table, Mary Lou wiped the tears from her eyes and took out the amulet. Her hands trembled, but she tapped on the birch amulet three times.

"Sleigh to the Pole, Sleigh to the Pole, Sleigh to the pole!"

* * *

 **Author's Note** : **A bit of a delay in that one, real life and all that, but I hope it was worth the wait. Thank you for your patience.**

 **( _BTW, they really_ _do_ _look like the offspring of the Heat Miser_ ) )**


	11. Chapter 11 - Nadir

_I see trees of green, red roses too_ _  
_ _I see them bloom for me and you_ _  
_ _And I think to myself…what a wonderful world…_

What do you take with you when you are leaving your old life forever? Mary Lou had already prepared a bug-out bag with her family, but that was more suited for a natural disaster or in case things really got out of hand on the Korean peninsula. She suspected that clothing would be meaningless, but even so she packed several outfits and filled another suitcase with socks and underwear and as many books as she could.

Mary Lou did all this while constantly thinking some variation of: _Oh My God I Have Effing_ **Horns** _Growing Out of My Head!_ The horns were thankfully insensitive to pain, but those seemed to be the only receptors they didn't have, she could have been touching the back of her knee when she stroked the ridged surfaces.

After packing, she sat down to wait at the kitchen table trying to relax and wondering who would be picking her up. It wasn't too long before she heard the thump in the backyard and knock on the door shortly after.

Mary Lou rushed to open the door, and Santa and Mrs. Claus were waiting for her. Scott and Carol chose to wear civilian clothes for the pickup, which seemed sort of strange to Mary Lou, how many other people travel via hypersonic sleigh, but she appreciated the quick response.

"Hi Carol, Santa, come on in!" She wasn't sure what to say, she had so many questions and concerns, and small talk wasn't one of her strengths. "Um, I'm not asking to come up too soon, am I?"

"Not at all," said both. "I'd have questioned your judgment if you _hadn't_ called tonight," said Scott. "We needed you to be up at the Pole in two weeks anyway and a pair of horns isn't easily explained." He reached out to touch them and Mary Lou jerked away. "Are you comfortable? How do they feel?"

"My head is still sore, but I guess that's to be expected. They are a bit sensitive and I can feel everything on them, but they aren't heavy or anything."

"You can probably expect them to get longer. Anything else?"

"Besides the obvious," asked Mary Lou. "I still walk on the soles of my feet, but my right foot ends in claws and the other is becoming a hoof."

"Doctor Hisbus would like to give you a physical examination just to make sure you're fine. Would that be all right with you?"

"Is that the real reason? I don't think my health is what he's really concerned about." Santa grinned and shook his head. "We don't get many coming in to the Elf Department in the middle of a transformation from human to something else. But we are concerned about how you're dealing with this emotionally."

Mary Lou threw back her head and laughed. "Santa Claus, I'm a teenaged girl who's gradually changing into a monster, okay? This isn't covered under any psychological counseling papers, I'm quite sure. I'm coping, all right?" Then, in a softer tone, as if realizing, "I don't have any choice anyway." She wrapped her arms around herself then, inhaling and exhaling rapidly, fighting to keep her composure.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Carol joined her on the sofa, putting her arms around her, stroking the wild raven tangle on Mary Lou's head.

"Carol, why did this have to happen to _me?"_ she wept. Carol gave her a squeeze. "That's always the question that never really gets answered, does it?" she whispered to her. "But you're going to be staying with us until you are ready to move into your permanent home. We don't want you to be left alone."

"Thanks," said Mary Lou, wiping her eyes, and grabbing her coat and one of her bags. "I guess I'm ready to go."

They flew north through the night in near-silence. The sensation of the frigid air flowing over her horns was overwhelming exhilaration. They may not do much for my appearance, she thought, I may look like a freak…but they feel incredible.

The beautiful music she'd heard ten months ago returned to her ears as they descended into the North Pole workshop. Bernard, Curtis, Judy, and Abby were there to greet her, and their expressions were that of welcoming tinged with concern.

"Welcome home, Mary Lou," said Bernard. "How're you doing?"

"Ehh, I'm managing. But it's good to see you all again!" She threw her arms around all three of the elves and they reciprocated.

"So you got the horns, but ya still haven't joined the Pointy-Ear Club yet?" Mary laughed. "I have to wonder," she asked, addressing them all, "how do your ears feel when flying in Santa's sleigh?"

The four elves exchanged glances. "Er…frostbitten. At least they are if we aren't wearing something on them. Why?"

"Just that, well, having horns wasn't something I wanted, but, it's an incredible sensation, sort of…" Her voice trailed off. Elves are quick on the uptake and she didn't have to spell things out to them, they were all adults.

Junior elves moved Mary Lou's bags to her old room while she and her friends caught up. They found her description of her changes both fascinating and horrifying but they were most deeply concerned with what happened between her and Matt.

"Matt's a good kid, Mary Lou, but you probably figured that over the time you were with him," said Santa. "Anyway, you did the right thing by breaking it off just before things got too serious, it would have been much more painful."

"I wish I could have told him the whole story, but that S.O.S restriction…" Santa nodded. "I wish I could tell you that there was a Mr. Krampus clause, but Krampus doesn't seem to be the marrying type."

"That's probably just as well," agreed Mary Lou. "Santa, will I be able to see my family again? Can I bring them up here to visit?"

Santa stroked his beard. "Possibly, it's just that now, mid-October, we are getting into crunch time. Please understand Mary Lou, you _are_ going to be able to keep in touch with them through telephone, email, voicemail, snail mail and video conferencing." He caught the shimmer in Mary Lou's eyes. "You want to see them before you finish turning into the Krampus," he asked gently. "Is that it?"

"Yeah," she said with a shudder. "It is. And how much more changing will I have to do?"

Scott took both of her hands. "I will do my best to find some time for your family, Mary Lou, but there is no guarantee of how you'll look when I do. Now, how much time do you have left and how far your transformation will go, that is something that Dr. Hismus might be able to answer. Again though, there are no guarantees."

After talking about minor events, Mary Lou excused herself to go to bed – but falling asleep with a set of horns is no easy task for someone unaccustomed to them.

"At least the Devil doesn't have to get any sleep!" she muttered to herself. She was a bit tired the next morning.

* * *

As arranged, Mary Lou went to the Elf Center the first thing the next morning after breakfast, and as the receptionist hadn't yet arrived, Dr. Hismus was there waiting for her.

"I have to assume you're Mary Lou Dobbins." She nodded and shook the elf's hand.

"That's me, Doctor. I just haven't been feeling myself lately." He grinned boyishly. "I can understand that complaint. But let's talk about it." He escorted her into one of the examination rooms and she sat on the table, but he offered her a seat instead.

"Obviously you've gotten involved in the magic of the Krampus birch branches. Could you describe what as been happening and when?"

Mary Lou gave him a full description of how and when she was changing and with Dr. Hismus asking questions and writing notes; this disclosure took nearly an hour.

"Have the changes been steady or do they come and go?"

"It's been a combination of both. My hair has been growing mostly during the night, but the more traumatic changes like my horns and feet have happened in quick bursts."

Hismus wrote a few more notes. "I'm going to need a couple blood samples and have the lab take a look." Working quickly and precisely, he managed to shave a small patch of hair on the underside of her forearm – which he put in a sample bag as the bare spot blossomed and filled in – reshaved it and swabbed her arm with spirits and got a needle in a vein before the hair grew back. After withdrawing the needle, he invited her to get undressed while he took the blood work to the lab.

Undressed, Mary Lou examined the posters on the wall. It appeared that elf anatomy was mostly similar to that of humans.

"Our metabolism is slower," explained Dr. Hismus when he returned. "But besides that and our ear structure, we're fundamentally the same as _Homo sapiens_. Let's take a look at things." He checked her heart rate, blood pressure, temperature. Using a magnifying glass, he carefully examined Mary Lou's skin and took a few skin samples. They both watched, fascinated, as the small wounds healed themselves within seconds. He then looked closely at her newly-grown horns.

"These grew on you last night? Were they painful?"

"Yeah," she answered with a shudder. "Not anymore though," she said with a moan as he examined the new growth with a finger and the magnifying glass.

He finished his examination by checking her reflexes and taking a few swabs.

"All right, Mary Lou. Follow me to the lab and we'll talk some more." She followed him as she asked, and he took the proffered lab result while handing in the additional samples. They sat down and went over the report.

"Mary Lou, the good news is that you are probably in the best shape of your life and you will only get healthier for the next five hundred years. But you aren't going to be a human being either."

"That, I expected. What can I expect over the short term? How far do I have to go?"

"You're only slightly more than half-way there. Have you seen a growth chart of earth's population?" He drew an imaginary line in the air which curved upwards sharply. "You're approaching a plateau; right now your body is preparing itself. You may see a few additional changes between now and then, with 'then' being the completion of your transition – but this completion will happen very quickly."

"How much different will I look? I mean, I thought my skin…the hair on my body was about full."

Dr, Hismus shook his head, "Believe it or not, this growth is just a thin intermediate layer for insulation; it's like a sweater over a shirt. You still have to put on your coat or parka. Based on what I saw of Mr. Müller, your final change is going to be very total."

They arranged an appointment in April to see how Mary Lou was adjusting to her new form.

"Mary Lou!" exclaimed Catherine as she picked up the phone. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm fine for now, Mom. Doctor Hismus…and he makes Doogie Howser look like a senior citizen… examined me a few days ago and said that I couldn't be much healthier."

"I'm detecting a 'but' somewhere…"

"Yeah, this'll probably the last time you'll see me as a human. If I we can arrange it, can you and Daddy come up? Free transportation, all expenses paid?"

"Yes. YES!" She shouted through the house, "Danny! Mary Lou's inviting us up to the North Pole! …If she can arrange it!"

Santa could only squeeze them in for two days over the weekend, and they could only stay that long anyway since they would be needed back at work.

But they would squeeze in a lot of activity in such a short time period.

* * *

Mary Lou could barely contain herself as the sleigh descended with Carol, Santa, and her parents. As soon as the platform stopped, she ran over to embrace them both.

Though they came knowing what to expect, they were still taken aback by Mary Lou's appearance. Mary Lou saw the looks flash over their faces and she felt a sharp pang of sadness. But she gave her parents a powerful hug just the same, and then fingered one of the horns.

"I know this must be unsettling, seeing your little girl with these things growing on her head." They had grown about an inch over the past few days. "You can touch them, if you like." Her parents did so, and Mary Lou gasped in pleasure.

"C'mon," she said. "I'll help you get settled in."

Over the course of the weekend, Santa gave the Dobbins the full tour of his workshop and all of the shops and small businesses that the elves operated.

"And you live right next to the Claus's, Mary Lou?"

"I'll be staying there just until the end of the weekend, Daddy. Then I'll move to the _Eisenhochburg,_ or 'the Iron Stronghold,' that's twenty-five miles away and the permanent residence of the Krampus."

"'Iron Stronghold,' doesn't very appealing," said Catherine.

"It's not supposed to, Mom," said Mary Lou gravely. "It's where I'll live, and it's also where I'll keep my prisoners. But both my living quarters and my servant's quarters are pleasant enough."

Daniel smiled proudly at the seriousness of his daughters tone. Raising her, he hoped that she would be in a responsible position when she grew up. This was a bit unorthodox, but he felt the warmth of pride in what she agreed to take on.

The two days went by too quickly and they were having breakfast just before leaving along with Santa, Carol, Buddy, Bernard, Judy and Abby.

Catherine and Daniel had apologized to Judy for their frigid reception the second time she visited them, and they had become good friends.

As they ate, Mary Lou felt a sudden tenderness in her mouth, and then pressure started building in the front of her upper and lower jaw. Daniel noticed her discomfort.

"Mary Lou, you OK?"

"Daddy, ugnhh, I…Ah!" She opened her mouth and her parents and friends watched in shock as her upper and lower cuspids lengthened into short fangs. As quickly as it happened, the pressure and tenderness went away.

"What happened?" asked Mary Lou. "Um, Mom, do you have a mirror?" She took the mirror and looked at her face. Her four canine teeth had grown half an inch longer and slightly wider, with the upper ones fitting closely over her lower lip.

"Fangs," sighed Mary in resignation. "Great. Uh, sorry you all had to see that."

There was nothing to be sorry about, they had all assured her.

Mary Lou escorted her parents to the waiting sleigh.

"We just want you to know, Mary Lou," said Catherine, handing her a set of keys, "we are very proud of what you are doing and even prouder to have you as our daughter. Your home is always open to you."

"I've set up a savings account for you with a few thousand in it," said Daniel. "I can't imagine what might happen over the years, but compound interest amazed even Einstein."

Mary Lou hadn't cried since she got to the Pole, but let the tears flow freely as she said goodbye to her parents.

She moved into _Eisenhochburg_ the next day. Her assistant elves would be Abby and her boyfriend Kevin, but for the week, the three mostly played parlor games and enjoyed each others company. With nearly three thousand years of combined experience, they never ran out of stories to share.

By Wednesday, Mary Lou realized that her "intermediate" coat of black curls covered her whole body from the top of the neck down. _With more to come_ , she thought to herself.

The next afternoon as she and Kevin were playing chess with Abby observing, Mary Lou noticed that the air pressure in the room seemed to change and she heard a high-pitched tone in her ears.

"Do either of you hear a high-pitched tone or whistle?" They looked up and Mary Lou saw the expressions on their faces.

"What?"

"We don't, but I think we know why you do, Mary Lou." Kevin pointed to the mirror on the wall. As she got up, she felt her ears go warm and she knew before she got there. Her earlobe had now attached itself to the side of her cheek and the top grew to a point about three inches higher than what they had been, just over the top of her head.

The next few days were quiet, but she and Abby and Kevin observed her ears and horns growing slightly longer.

* * *

It was late in the evening of All Saints Day, the day after Halloween or the second day of the All Hallowmas triduum. Mary Lou was concentrating on English Literature.

I'm thirsty, she thought. She stood and went to the bathroom. She decided that she would have to turn the furnace down some once she satiated her thirst; it was getting uncomfortably warm in her chamber. Mary Lou drank three glasses of cold water in succession.

"God!" Heat seemed to pool in her stomach and Mary Lou gasped and removed her robe. The heat intensified and it felt as if every cell in her body was slowly catching on fire. She felt pressure build in her feet, and Mary Lou was forced to sit down.

"No…no…oh shit!" Muscles, bones and tendons popped and cracked as her insteps stretched several inches before her eyes, molding them. The heat flowed through to her hips and the whole of her lower body was engaged. Muscles swelled and ligaments tore her hips widening with liquid sounding cracks as her hindquarters became those of a beast, half goat and half those of a carnivore.

Mary Lou screamed in fear. The changes weren't painful, the feelings ranged from moderate discomfort to near sensual pleasure

Her transformation progressed upwards. The coarse and wiry human body hair that had started growing on her since May was now itself being engulfed by wild and shaggy fur. Feeling to Mary Lou like hot silk embracing her, the new growth covered the original fur that had grown from her foot and hoof and flowed up over her legs, wrapped around her buttocks, then, teasingly, the heat settled in her groin, forcing the frightened young woman to moan, and then it continued to surge upwards. Massive muscles bulged all over Mary Lou's torso. She managed to stand, digitrade now, and staggered up to the large mirror

Her arms bulged with rapidly expanding muscle and blossoming fur and she felt pressure in her fingers. Nails pushed out and fell to the floor as sharp black claws took their place and as the shaggy fur crept from her waist up over her torso and up her neck to her chin. On her upper back and neck, a lump of solid muscle like that on the back of a grizzly bear formed while at the base of her strengthening spine, her coccyx began lengthening. Mary Lou screamed again, her voice feminine but considerably deeper – adding to her terror – and the fact that she was growing a furry pointed tail compounded her humiliation.

For eighteen years, or at least the years that she was sentient, Mary Lou had been fond of her face. Puberty had been a little stingy with her chest and her once straight blonde hair that she always wore simple and short. But she had often gotten compliments about her pretty eyes and gentle white smile. And certainly over the past few months, Mary Lou had been hoping and praying that even though the rest of her body would be one of a beast, she would at least be able to keep her face, some remnant of her visage.

But that wasn't how Krampus looked.

Mary Lou felt the warmth and tickling intensify, and watched, resigned and weeping as the thick black fur now began advancing over her chin and cheeks.

"Goodbye, Mary Lou. I'll miss you." she choked out. Fur crept up her chin to her lips, which then turned white and then dark grey. It then grew over her cheeks and over her nose, blotting out the last of her human skin. Mary Lou stared as the fur scurried all over her face, filling in the gaps, getting longer and thicker, and then she screamed with gritted teeth as throbbing pressure quickly built in her face and jaw.

Moments later, it felt as if every bone in her face had shattered

" **GYAAAAAAHHHHHAAARRRR!** " She screamed and growled as the whole of her nose and jaw pushed out into a short snout. Around her eyes, the bones pushed out into protective ridges while her eyes themselves were changing from white to blood red, with yellow irises in the center. Her front teeth narrowed to points while the fangs she had already grown grew thicker and longer. Pressure built in her tongue and it swelled and lengthened until it dangled a foot out of her mouth.

The Krampus bleated, her body shuddering as she completed her transformation with her horns twisting and curving back over her head, nearly a foot long. They would continue to grow at a much slower pace throughout her tenure.

Mary Lou's cries were heard throughout the castle, and the anguish in them brought Abby to tears, concerned for her friend.  
"But Kevin, we can't just leave her, can we?" He put a comforting arm around her shoulder

"Abby, Mary Lou needs to be left alone for the time being. Let's give her an hour. She's a sensible young lady, but let's just wait for her to calm down a bit.

Mary Lou Dobbins just stood there before the mirror, shuddering at the creature she had become. Every bit of what she had been was gone; there was nothing left but a horned, black-furred beast. She was undeniably female, with her broad hips and chest, but human only in general shape.

It began to dawn on her that, whatever else happened in her life, _this_ would be the form in which she would experience, at the barest minimum, four-fifths of it, and that was only if she managed to live for another hundred years after changing back. Eighty percent of an extremely long life would be hers to live as a hideous monster. And for the rest of their lives, this would be all her friends and family would ever see. If they saw her again, this creature, this _monster_ would be their final living memory of her.

She howled, long and loud, in terror, in anger, in frustration, and then in horror renewed as she realized the inhumanity of her scream. Thoughts of her taking this responsibility as a noble and important undertaking meant nothing to her now. Seeing the harsh reality what she would be for the next five centuries, she just wanted her little blonde body back.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Thus ends the transformation, but the new Krampus is just getting started._


	12. Chapter 12 - Krampus, The First Days

Mary Lou squeezed her eyes shut; not wanting to see her reflection ever again. It scarcely helped, each of her senses had been enhanced ten to a hundred times over and she felt _everything_ : the weight of her muscles, her odd stance resulting from being simultaneously hoofed and pawed, her horns, her fur, her fangs, claws, tail, tongue…

Those are _animal_ parts, they aren't mine, she thought desperately. _Except that they are_ , she had to remind herself. When she realized what she was becoming, she had hoped that her simple natural beauty would somehow shine through; she wouldn't be as frightening as some of the representations that she had seen online. The only break she had gotten in that regard was that at least the thick fluffy fur on her face served to soften her bestial features, but besides that, she was at least as terrifying as the least complimentary renditions she had seen.

"Please," she said with a sob… "I'm still just a kid. I don't wanna be like this!" Her once soft and silvery voice was now harsh and guttural. Her new voice shocked her, another thing she treasured destroyed. _God, please, please,_ ** _please_** _change me back,_ she prayed silently. _In five hundred years, beloved_ , was her only answer. She backed away from the mirror, her mind reeling from the sensations she felt as the fur on her legs rubbed together. Mary Lou had discovered that her nascent horns were unusually sensitive to pleasure, her intricately woven fur was even more so, especially where her limbs met her torso.

But the sorrow now consuming her overwhelmed even the most agreeable sensations. If anything it made her new body even more terrifying. She went to her bed, curling up in the fetal position, her hyperactive synapses firing off neurons of unwelcome pleasure all over her body. There she broke down, sobbing despairingly.

* * *

"O-kay…that is without a doubt the strangest sound I've ever heard," said Kevin quietly. "The poor kid," nodded Abby, her eyes moist and wide. She took out her cElf phone and dialed.

"Evenin' Abs, what's up?"

"It's Mary Lou, Bernard. We think she's finished her transformation."

"You think?"

"We're pretty certain anyway. We didn't see it, but we heard a lot of cracking and popping noises and some horrible screams, now it sounds as if she's on her bed and she's crying, but its not Mary's voice anymore."

Bernard thought a moment. They were probably right, the transformation's conclusion, but it could be something worse.

"Abby, go on in and check, just to be sure she's just transformed and that it's not something else to be concerned about. If she wants to talk, great, if not, just apologize and let her be for now."

Abby wondered what else it could possibly be when Mary Lou had been all but immortal since last Christmas, but saw no point in arguing.

"Go in and check that she's all right, he said," she told Kevin.

They entered Mary Lou's chamber, walking carefully towards the sound of a sobbing Krampus curled up on the bed.

"She's definitely finished the transformation," said Kevin in a near silent whisper. "And she's emotionally shot, I'd reckon."

"Can't blame her for that," answered his girlfriend equally quietly as she approached the foot of the bed. "Mary Lou? Are you okay?"

"I don't know if I'll ever be 'okay' again," came a low growling rasp, "I didn't know a person could be as scared as I am now." "Do I look as horrible as I think I do?"

Abby and Kevin came around to the right side of the bed to face Mary Lou. She looked similar to how Ernst did, except that her horns were shorter and unlike her predecessor she had a short snout on the sides of which her four larger fangs were exposed. Her shaggy fur was reminiscent of a stereotypical old-style gorilla suit on her arms and legs up to her waist, but was like a black lion's mane covering her trunk.

"Well," said Kevin. "Nobody is going to call you beautiful, and you're definitely frightening. But you're not hideous." Mary Lou moaned.

"I think you look better than Ernst did," agreed Abby, stroking her friend's arm. "If you want some time alone, we understand."

"No please, Abby! Don't leave me alone." Mary Lou's breathing was rushed and panicked.

"Shhhh, it's all right Mary Lou," said Kevin, "we're not going anywhere."

"For tonight anyway," said Abby. "Scoot over and let me in."

"Huh?" But Mary Lou did as she was told and the elf pulled off her shoes and slipped onto the bed, smiling up at the newly-formed Krampus while boldly stroking the fur on her chest. It was at least four inches thick.

"Lookit all this fur! It must really suck to know that you're gonna be stuck looking like this for such a long time," teased Abby. "I thought you were maybe thirteen when you first came in, you were so sweet and tiny and cute, you could have passed for an elf. And now you're doomed to be a big hairy fangy monster that has to punish misbehaving children."

Mary Lou gasped, offended. _Seriously, Abby?_ she thought.

"Well it's the truth," said Kevin. "Of course you have a choice now, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"Oh come on, you're a smart girl…or at least you were. You can either make the best of what you are now and execute the duties of your office and bring long-term happiness to hundreds of thousands of children and their progeny. Or…"

"Or?"

Kevin frowned. "Or you can spend the next five hundred years feeling sorry for yourself - in which case you will never be human again. Ever. That's just the reality, Krampus; word is they take dereliction of duty pretty seriously on the Council.

"I know," sighed Mary Lou. "I knew what to expect though, I thought I was prepared for this."

"Mmmmm, but you were kinda hoping that the reality wouldn't be so harsh, weren't you? We heard what you were going through, was it as painful as it sounded?"

"Except for my face and the horns, it really wasn't painful. More distressing and horrifying than anything else. Even when you expect it though, do you have any idea what that is like to watch yourself becoming a creature?"

"Some idea, Mary Lou," answered Abby. "I've yet to see someone who was happy about becoming the Easter Bunny. Once they get into the job though, they seem to like it."

"And _my_ job is to be a warden of a quasi-medieval juvenile detention center/dungeon," countered Mary Lou.

"And punish and rehabilitate these children to the best of your ability," Abby agreed, "and from what I've seen, there is no reason why you can't be even better than Ernst had been." Abby hugged the great beast that Mary Lou had become. "But for now, my friend, there's nothing wrong with feeling a little sorry for yourself, either. Being changed into a monster, it'll take some time to adjust. But you will overcome and you will be fully human again. She smiled and cupped her hand on Mary's cheek, then kissed her on the forehead. "Try to get some sleep."

It took some time, but eventually, Mary Lou was able to let herself fall asleep. Surprisingly, she thought upon waking, there were no nightmares. Both Abby and Kevin were curled up asleep next to her. Being mindful of her new claws, she gently stroked the heads of the sleeping elves. "Thank you," she whispered and slipped off the bed herself.

Walking around in her new form was almost like an out-of-body experience, but not an unpleasant one. It was just a matter of getting used to and accepting the way she looked, something that Mary Lou knew was going to take time. Also, she had to discover the limits of her new body and how it worked.

Two things had become evident in the months when she was slowly and steadily changing. The first which had been mentioned was that her menstrual cycle had slowed and stopped. Just as well, since having children in such a position was unthinkable. The second was that her appetite had changed from being omnivorous to primarily an eater of meat, the rarer the better. This was a bit upsetting, not that she was a vegetarian or vegan, but she did prefer a balanced diet. On the upside at least, her digestion was perfect, with nothing being left to waste.

Having a tail was humiliating, but it acted as a counterweight on her altered posture, she could walk easily enough with a left hoof and a clawed paw – but it was awkward. She briefly tried running – and nearly fell on her face. Mary Lou was just able to break her fall, and was then horrified to discover that her new form was more suited to running on all fours.

Her usual routine was to take a shower first thing in the morning, now she wondered if that was even possible, much less a wise idea. How long would it take for the water to soak through…and should she let it? Being a rather intelligent girl, she decided to experiment and went into the bathroom. While the Japanese-style tub was filling, Mary Lou examined herself more carefully. Her hands hadn't changed all that much, except for her claws and that she had black pads on her fingertips and at the base of the fingers. The rest of her hand, back and front, was covered with fur.

She attempted to probe through the dark mass covering her to find her skin, but as it was no less than two inches thick, thrice that around her neck and shoulders, the attempt was futile. Mary hoped it would insulate her against the heat as well as the cold, but what was most amazing was how sensitive it was, she could feel the slightest breath of air upon it.

With the tub nearly full, she put her hand in the warm water. She felt warmth and water on her fingertips instantly, and then moments later on the rest of her hand. She took out her hand and shook it dry. With her other arm, she put her elbow in, and waited.

It was at least a minute before she felt the warmth on her skin and another before her elbow felt wet. Mary Lou withdrew her arm and shook it. Whatever else made up her coat besides keratin, it seemed to be quite water resistant, since her elbow felt dry within a minute. She took a deep breath and decided to face herself in the mirror again.

Despite Abby and Kevin's assurances, her image still repulsed her and she wept for a few minutes. Still, she forced herself to look, to examine. The whole of her eye was scarlet red, with unnaturally yellow irises, and at least she no longer needed her glasses to see clearly. Her snout had pushed out her face perhaps an inch and a half to accommodate her fangs and tongue. Her nose was an odd combination of human and caprine. Mary Lou opened her mouth and saw that she still had molars, but most of her teeth were short fangs, and that except for her tongue; the inside of her mouth was dark grey. Her tongue was another thing altogether – it was extendible and retractable, so she could fit it inside her mouth if she thought about it, but the default position of her massive tongue was lolling ten inches or more outside.

Mary Lou still whimpered as she gingerly patted her cheeks and snout. Her hair was gone, what had been on her head was now just another part of her coat. The two horns had widened and lengthened to at least a foot, curving slightly out and back. Not counting her horns, she was about seven feet tall, and there was nothing remaining that hinted at her former existence.

"Get used to it, girl," she moaned.

* * *

She spent the day exploring _Eisenhochburg_ , both inside and out. The temperature was about ten degrees below zero, but it could have been room temperature with all the built in protection she had. She came in to discover that Abby had cooked a dinner of roast beef and potatoes.

"You got a message from Santa. He wants to talk to you as soon as possible."

"My place or his?"

Abby shrugged. "He's your boss. 'Mohammed, go to the mountain.' Besides, you might as well practice using your sleigh, right?"

Other than a few minor adjustments; and fortunately the seat in the sleigh was designed to accommodate the Krampus' tail, Mary Lou found flying the sleigh just as exhilarating as it was the first time.

"This just never gets old, does it?"

"Nope!" said Kevin.

"Never does, ma'am!" said Abby.

Mary Lou wasn't sure what to think about the reception she got at the North Pole. She did get some strange looks from what she assumed were the younger elves, but she also got some light applause.

"They're probably amused that I managed to work up the guts to show myself," she wryly commented to her companions.

"Or they're just glad to see Abby and me."

Santa and Bernard were there to greet them. Their looks were that of surprise and concern.

"Mary Lou," said Bernard, his voice warm. "I'm sure it's been a difficult few days. How are you feeling?"

"I'm…still very shaken to be honest with you. I'm just glad that Abby and Kevin were there to help me adjust," she replied.

"Well, I'm sure they told you it would take some time," said Santa. You'll be okay sooner than you think. Anyway, come on up to the office, we have some things to discuss."

She followed Santa up to his office. "Have a seat, Mary Lou. I'll assume that you'll want to be called 'Mary Lou' and not 'Krampus,' right?"

"Oh yes please!"

He nodded. "I'll call you Krampus when we're out and about, I do want you to _be_ Krampus and act like your office demands but when it's just you, me, and your friends and family, it'll be 'Mary Lou.' And you can call me Santa or Scott; it's all the same to me."

"What do you mean 'act like my office demands,' Santa?"

"Mary Lou, have you ever had to punish someone?"

"No. I don't even get angry very often."

"That's good. Punishment needs to be applied rationally. And when you see the records of some of these kids, you probably will get angry – but of course it's going to be more abstract, since you really won't have a personal relationship."

"I see," Santa hadn't really answered the question.

"But to answer your question, you are expected to act fairly fearsome when you are on the clock. You don't have to be rude or mean, though there is a time for that when your job demands it. If you want a model, I might suggest Rowan Atkinson's portrayal of a 1970's schoolmaster, but you are going to develop your own natural style soon enough."

"If you put it that way, Santa Claus, I have to tell you that while I'm not shy, I am not overly assertive either, much less aggressive."

"Oh I know, Mary Lou." He smiled and leaned closer. "Remember that I've followed you all your life. And we're anticipating that you'll grow into this career. Now I won't be there when you are making your rounds on _Krampusnacht_ or when you are disciplining the children at _Eisenhochburg_. Trust your best judgment, okay?"

"I understand."

"All right then," he said brightly. "Let's take a look at how we are going to deal with our workload. Unfortunately with Ernst, I didn't really know him until it was time to say goodbye – and that was only because we were dealing and are dealing with a disturbing increase in naughtiness. We need to bring that under control – so your first _Krampusnacht_ workload is going to be a heavy one."

Oh great, thought Mary Lou. Not that she was scared off by hard work; she had been a top honors student because of it. It was just that she had hoped to ease into the job a little bit more.

"How heavy are we expecting?"

Scott got up and withdrew a massive bound printout from his desk about the size of Philadelphia's phone book. It was covered in flat black leather.

"Here is your assignment, Mary Lou. These are the worst of the naughty. I want you to examine the records of all these kids – there is a thumbnail sketch of their behavior over the past eleven months. Your task is to determine the best form of discipline for each of them, whether it be a beating, a scolding or other chastisement, or whether they should be incarcerated for further discipline. There are five thousand, one hundred and eighty-two."

* * *

 _Dear Mom, Daddy, and Todd._

 _It has finally happened. I_ **am** _the Krampus! I don't want to upset you, but I don't want you to feel like I'm concealing anything either: The final transformation happened quickly and it was nightmarish, like a werewolf, except that I was fully conscious while it was happening. Not painful…except when my face pushed out into a muzzle and my horns grew thicker and longer. The fur was weird, not painful when it was growing; just felt like a gazillion needles pushing out through the skin. Now it actually feels good. Oh yeah, and I have a furry pointed tail and a red tongue that won't stay in my mouth unless I concentrate on it. Yay me._

 _Whatever pictures you have of me, please preserve them, because I'm not going to look like that again for as long as you live. Putting it bluntly, looking in the mirror is horrifying. I'm debating whether on not I should have one of my assistants take a picture of me and send it to you._

 _The good news is that everyone has been very kind to me. My elf assistants, Abby and Kevin are a delight to work with, and I still can't believe they are both nearly two thousand years old. Scott gave me my assignment for Krampus Night, and it is a big one. It looks like Eisenhochburg might actually be full for the first time in decades, perhaps centuries._

 _Please let me know how things are going. I miss you!_

 _Love,_

 _Mary Lou_ _  
_ ** _THE KRAMPUS_**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **_A tough chapter to write, but an enjoyable one. I'm wondering how far into the future I should go with this, but I am determined to at least get to Boxing Day. I'm also considering classifying Mary Lou as public domain and letting her Krampus (and Ernst's) be a full character in the Santa Clause universe. Thanks as always for the reviews; they're the fuel that feeds the fires._**


	13. Chapter 13 - Night of the Krampus

_Dear Mary Lou,_

 _Mom, Dad, and I are going to be together for Thanksgiving, and I for one would love to see how you look now, squirt! Don't worry; we already have a pretty good idea based on your description of how you look, so it's not like you'll be shocking us._

 _But you'll be pleased to know that people are asking about you. We've been telling everyone that you've gone up north for school. What they aren't told is how far up north and that you'll be the teacher._

 _Mary Lou, I don't want to sound too presumptuous, but I would very much like to see you and your new home. I know that you had other plans for the first century of your life, but I intend to help you through it any way that I can._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Todd_

Mary Lou smiled, but wondered if sending a picture might violate the SOL (Secret of Legendaries). She would have to check with the Council on that tomorrow when she would be meeting with the Council for the first time. Since her final transformation, Mary Lou had been doing her best to keep busy, figuring that her time in office would go much faster that way; it's just that except for reviewing the naughty list, there wasn't a whole lot to do.

She flew to Santa's Workshop to meet with the Council at polar noon. Mother Nature presided.

"I'd like to welcome you all again and thank you for coming, everyone. I would like to introduce our newest member to the team. With Ernst having stepped down, we have the privilege of welcoming Mary Lou Dobbins from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in America, as our new Krampus. Mary Lou is also the youngest person to ever fill any role on the council." There were mutterings and polite applause.

"Miss Dobbins," she continued. "You've met a few of our members already. As I'm sure you've gathered, I am Mother Nature, and, along with Father Time, unofficial head of the Council. Naturally, you already know Scott Calvin as Santa Claus. Jack Frost is your fellow mythological subordinate to Santa. We also have the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Cupid." Mary Lou nodded to each of them as they were introduced.

"Now, Miss Dobbins, we will be discussing some other Council business here, but our primary purpose this time is to meet with you. By the time you've finished your term, it is highly likely that you will be the last of us remaining. You'll have a lot of time to learn, but eventually you'll be able to wield a great deal of influence." The dark woman smiled warmly at Mary Lou. "Provided, mind you, that you fulfill your responsibilities as expected. Do you have any questions or concerns?"

Yes, I would like to have my old life back, thought Mary Lou with a touch of bitterness. But she asked if it would be possible to send her family a picture.

"Emphatically not," said Mother Nature sternly. "But we will allow you to bring them up to the North Pole and meet with them there – and by 'them,' I mean only your mother, father, and your brother. You may also visit them once per year, however, you must be sure you are not seen." Mary Lou let her shoulders sag. "You know, I do have friends I care about too," she couldn't help but growl, and as always felt a pang of humiliation as she did so.

"I know you do, Krampus, and we all know what a sacrifice you have made, but we cannot allow the code to change for one person, especially since we have all seen the havoc caused when the code is bent." She turned to the slim man with frosted blue hair. "Isn't that right, Jack?" she asked icily.

"Now come on, Jackie has more than learned his lesson, let's not reopen old wounds," said Santa. He turned to Mary Lou. "She is right, I'm afraid. Not too many people are aware of Krampus, and we'd prefer to keep it that way – it's simply more effective on the kids Krampus is trying to help." Mary Lou nodded, saddened.

"Krampus," continued Mother Nature, "would you please tell us how your preparations are coming for _Krampusnacht_ , which as you know are less than a week hence?"

"Certainly _,_ Mother Nature," answered Mary Lou in her gruff voice. "Santa and I are anticipating quite a busy evening. My predecessor was able to set the groundwork to reverse the trend of the increasing naughtiness, however, that was but a drop in the bucket." Mary Lou had been unconcerned, relatively unconcerned, about the change in her voice itself, obviously her vocal cords and larynx would have been altered as in her transformation from a petite teenaged girl to that of a massive and beastly teenaged female creature of legend. She appreciated the stentorian nature her voice now had, not needing any effort on her part.

"How many do you expect to take into custody?"

"I'll be visiting over four thousand, Mother Nature, from all the continents except Antarctica. Bear in mind that I have not yet completed the list, but I expect no less than three hundred visitors. Fortunately, a third of them need only stay until Boxing Day."

"Krampus," said Father Time, "have you given any thought as to the means of discipline you will use on your prisoners for that first month?"

" _Ja_ , I was told by Ernst that simple confinement should be sufficient for the first few weeks. Still, I would like to get to know them, and I plan on interviewing at least a few of them on a case by case basis."

Mother Nature nodded. "Very well, that's a good starting point, would you agree, Santa Claus?" Scott nodded. "Mary Lou and I looked over the list up to where it is so far, we talked about the kids, and we both agree that this is the best way to go."

"All right then," said Mother Nature. "Just remember that you mustn't get too attached to these children. For the remaining two hundred that stay behind, have you given any thought to how to best educate them?"

Mary Lou had been thinking about that. Two hundred kids, how do you develop an education program that is suitable for all of them and all while having a single teacher?

"I confess that I am at a bit of a loss, Mother Nature."

Mother Nature raised her hand. "You needn't worry, Mary Lou. Think of it as a courtesy you are doing them. You may have noticed…or you will notice…your instincts becoming sharper. At least you will if what Ernst has told us is true."

"Hey, as long as you don't teach them to be suicide bombers, you should be fine, kid," offered the Tooth Fairy.

Mary Lou laughed, weakly. She'd have to remember that these were young children for the most part…and she'd have to sleep on the problem.

"With that at least somewhat settled, did you have any other questions for me, Mother Nature?"

"I just want to be sure that you understand your situation. I know that you have been through an impossibly stressful time at a very young age, and to add to it, there is absolutely no way to reverse it, not until you've fulfilled at least one term of five hundred years. Are you going to be able to handle it?"

Mary Lou spread her arms wide. "As you said, I don't have any choice in the matter. Am I happy about it? I am not, though I feel honored to be part of this. Am I reluctant to look at myself in the mirror and do I still cry myself to sleep at night over it? Very often I am and I do." She felt the hand of Sandman stroking the fur on her shoulder…and a lump in her throat. "More than anything else though, it's the thought of what I'll lose, of _who_ I'll lose over the next five centuries." Mary Lou choked back a sob. "And people in Hell want ice water. Can I handle it? I just have to, and concentrate on the duties of my office and how important they are."

"Well," said the Easter Bunny. "I only have to serve forty-eight more years of a century term. So I can appreciate a fraction of what you're going through. If there's an upside, Miss Krampus, considering the state the world is in, there's a good chance you'll only serve a few decades. Maybe even less than that if things get crazy enough."

"I would hate to correct you, my friend," said Father Time, "but I must. Should we see beginning of the end times, we will be the final generation on this Council – and we will remain on this council until the Final Judgment. And that time encompasses seven years…plus a thirty day reclamation period…plus a forty-five day restoration period. And then we have one thousand years, the millennial kingdom, before that final judgment. Then we may reclaim our natural forms…although under such circumstances they will be greatly improved!"

"Hold on now, am I to understand I might be like this for fifteen-hundred years," gasped Mary Lou. She was aware of the ancient prophecies, but the fact that they would affect her like this was overwhelming. And the Easter Bunny was certainly correct in his assessment of the world situation.

"That _is_ a possibility, my dear, or at least that's one interpretation of the end times. A bit like joining the Army for two years and war breaking out on day 725, eh? But perhaps you will be permitted to use your human form except when you are on duty? I cannot say for certain one way or the other."

"Then let me reiterate the question and my answer," said Mary Lou. "Can I handle it? I just have to."

* * *

 _Dear Todd,_

 _I checked with the Council, and sending pictures is strictly verboten. But I am allowed to visit and invite you up to the Pole. Visiting you and Mom and Dad is a bit more complicated. I can…but I cannot be seen, and the power of the birch branches is strong, but they don't convey invisibility._

 _If you can manage it, I'd love to have you come up shortly after Krampusnacht – the little miscreants will just be using that time to rethink their evil ways (jk) and I'll be able to show you around a bit._

 _Love you!_

 _Mary Lou,  
 **The Krampus**_

* * *

Polar winter of 2017-18 had arrived early and was particularly frigid this time, especially compared with last year. Despite the humiliation she still felt about it, Mary Lou had to admit that her fur afforded excellent protection, trapping the warmer air against her body.

Today was the morning of _Krampusnacht_ and she got up to the winter darkness with a bad case of butterflies in the stomach. Mary Lou knew that she had prepared well enough, but she still felt a bad case of nerves over its actual execution.

Abby and Kevin greeted her with their customary embrace, and then each grabbed a furry arm and dragged her into the kitchen. The two elves were a godsend. Knowing what Mary Lou had been through, they went out of their way to anticipate her every need. And this morning, they provided strips of bacon and ham along with generous helpings of pancakes, and several servings of roast beef along with coffee and tea.

"Is everything set?" she asked.

"You're sleigh is stocked, and Curtis sent over the flight plan. What time are you planning to depart?"

"Just before sundown on Christmas Island, Abby," she answered. "No stops there this year, she answered with a grin." _Eisenhochburg_ was located on the same longitude as Christmas Island, but only technically speaking. Early December at the North Pole was always dark.

Mary Lou headed down into the dungeons to ensure that everything was in order. The cells were empty now, each one eight cubic yards in volume, with walls of basalt and granite, with iron bars up front. The classic eighteenth century prison motif. Light was provided by torches that never seemed to go out.

She took the basket and bags and headed back up, feeling an odd sense of unease as she did so. She sat down, taking care not to squash her tail and reexamined the list of the naughty. It looked like she would be spending a fair portion of time in the US and Canada, followed by Europe. Depressing, but based on the traditions, that made sense.

"And I have a thirty-day pickup in Manheim," a small town in Lancaster County, "for one Greg Warner, eight years old. Why does that name ring a bell?" She tried to think of why it did, when she felt a flash of heat within her. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough to let her know it was time to go.

Have a good ride, Mary Lou!" said Abby and Kevin as they said their goodbyes. Mary Lou hugged them both and stepped out into the cold. It was nearly forty degrees below zero according to the thermometer, but to Mary Lou it felt like a cool autumn morning. As she touched the iron sleigh, she felt the same flash of heat she felt earlier, and this time it didn't stop.

" ** _AAAAAUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!"_** she howled as her body began to change. Her horns lengthened and curled, and were soon joined by two additional pairs. Fur thickened, curled, and twisted into wild-looking tufts, giving her an even wilder, more primitive appearance. Mary Lou screamed as her jawbone grew thicker to accommodate longer fangs and a bulging red tongue - and as she realized that her mind was being altered as well. Manacles attached to a broken chain appeared on each wrist. She howled and boarded the iron sleigh. Fierce rage built within her, a primordial implacable fury stoked by justice and revealed in dully glowing eyes…and as the heat subsided, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

" ** _Fliege!"_** she called out to the reindeer, her voice raw and guttural, her American accent gone. **_"Fliege!"_**

And so they flieged.

Her first stop would be Rosehill, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. Her patient would be a boy by the name of Niko Parata. A large boy on nine who bullied his classmates incessantly and whose teacher passed it off as "boys being boys," and also had an unfortunate tendency to end up in possession of things that were not his own.

Mary Lou was not unduly concerned about stealth, nor did she need to be, but she thought it might be fun to see if she could sneak in unnoticed. With a careful flick of the branches, the locked door on the side of the home clicked open. She slowly twisted the doorknob and the door opened.

It would have been easier if one of her legs didn't end in a cloven hoof, but she still managed to slip through the house in near silence, up to Niko's room. The boy was sleeping.

She shook him gently by the shoulder. The boy moaned and stirred, then was still.

She did so again. "Niko, Niko. I need you to get up," she said quietly. Niko's body stiffened and he rolled over, opening his eyes…eyes that bulged wide with fear as he saw the creature sitting on the side of his bed. He took a deep breath. She firmly clamped her palm over his mouth.

"No, no, Niko. No screaming. It won't do you any good anyway, your parents are now in a deep sleep, and nothing will wake them except in an emergency. This isn't one." She continued. "I am here to collect a debt that you owe. Do you know who I am?"

"N-no," he squeaked.

"I am a servant of Santa Claus known as Krampus. It is my responsibility to punish misbehaving children. And Niko, over the past years, you have bullied several children and stolen nearly fifteen hundred dollars, haven't you?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Right… ** _AND NOW YOU WILL SUFFER PUNISHMENT, BOY!"_** Mary Lou roared and thrust her claws though the boy's pajama shirt into his ribs. Niko screamed as she pulled him up by the rib cage.

"Mind you, Niko," she said conversationally, "this is actually one of the lighter punishments I'll be administering tonight." She yanked off his pants and brought the branches seemingly out of nowhere. "These branches are birch. They pack quite the punch." And with that she proceeded thrashing the boy's bare buttocks for a full minute, with Niko screaming in pain.

"Now Niko, you are going to apologize to everyone you bullied, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am!" he sobbed.

"And you will return with interest everything you have stolen, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Very good." She flipped him around and slammed him back into his bed, then with her massive tongue, cleaned the wounds she inflicted on his chest. They closed up and healed before his eyes.

"Good night, Niko," she said, letting her tongue caress his cheek as if mocking him. "Don't force me to return."

She continued on, looping up and down the time zones of the world, administering punishment on many children, taking several others as long-term guests.

In Stolin, Belarus, just a few kilometers north of the border with Ukraine, Danik Marchenko was awake, playing video games. Normally he would be fast asleep by this time, but sleep had stopped coming easy to him since the events of a few months ago.

He had been throwing stones at immobile targets, but then decided to switch to something a bit more challenging; stray cats and squirrels. He preferred cats, because of the noise they made when he hit them.

And then one of the girls saw him, and he saw her running away, presumably to call the police or at least her parents, which would amount to the same thing. But they were near the banks of the Horyn, and he was able to chase her down.

He expected that they would never find her body.

But nothing is done entirely in secret, and Krampus was filled with fury at the boy. No mere beating this time.

Danik's first sense that something was amiss was the stabbing pain in the back of his neck and shoulders.

 _«Забойцы!»_ whispered a voice behind him. _Murderer_. The language was Belorussian, but the accent was German. He tried to turn around, but the pain was unbearable. The next thing he knew, he found himself being slammed face first into the wall. The blow should have at least broken his nose, but he remained relatively uninjured. Danik turned and screamed as he saw his assailant.

"Danik Marchenko, you are guilty of the worst crime a person can commit." The creature's voice was undoubtedly female.

"But I – "

"Silence, murderer. You are without excuse and will suffer for your crime." Krampus grabbed him by the neck, slammed a fist into his stomach and then thrust him into a sack.

Danik saw nothing but pitch blackness, but could not help but feel an overwhelming hopelessness. He screamed, reaching frantically for the sides of what he knew had to be a bag of some sort. His fingers felt only empty space.

And then he fell. He felt the rush of a foul-smelling warm wind that got warmer and warmer and was soon unbearably hot. He felt his lips split open from the heat.

And he continued to fall…

Almost done, thought Mary Lou as she swooped in over Florida. She used her birch with a fury, but only one pickup needed to be made in the Sunshine State, she noted with some surprise. From there she flew up the Eastern seaboard to her home state.

"FILTHY GIRL!" She chastised a seven year old in East Philadelphia who had some rather unsavory personal habits at the best of times and towards others at the worst of them. The girl had not been scheduled for arrest, but the Krampus was free to alter the schedule as she saw fit.

"SHALL YOU COME WITH ME TONIGHT, CASSANDRA REETH?" She stuck the girl halfway into one of the remaining sacks and laughed as Cassandra got a glimpse of the horror that awaited her if she was taken. She was still screaming as the Krampus departed.

"All right, _meine freunde_ ," she said to her reindeer. "On to the home of Greg Warner! _Gehen!"_

Yes…very familiar. Mary Lou could have slapped her forehead as she realized that her team was taking her directly to Matthew's house. Matt never even mentioned that he _had_ a brother! But there was nothing for it now but to do her duty. In Greg Warner's case that meant that she would take him in for a simple three-week detention for bullying, lying and cruelty to animals…with some minor arson. She took a deep breath and gave the birch branches a quick twist, and a moment later was in the Warner home.

The Warners had started the holiday season somewhat early; the Christmas tree was already up and decorated. Mary Lou continued up the stairs. She had already made over three thousand such entries, yet she still felt uneasy, most likely because she knew the family – though not nearly as well as she would have liked. Mary Lou pressed on, into Greg's room. She noticed that the sleeping boy looked much like his brother.

Mary Lou didn't want to risk awakening anyone, she wasn't entirely sure she could trust herself if Matt appeared, but she still had to put the fear of God…or rather the fear of Krampus in him…

"GET UP BOY!"

Her voice alone was enough to rouse him from his sleep. Greg rolled over on his back and took a breath to scream as he saw the black-furred monster before him. She let him. She knew it was futile.

"Mother, father, and Matthew shall not be along for a rescue, Greg! You will accompany me to face punishment! If you are released, it shall be on my terms! But for now…"

She grabbed the boy by the hair, thrashing him with the birch branches.

"BULLY! LIAR! ARSONIST! ANIMAL ABUSER! **TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT AND GIVE THANKS THAT THE ALMIGHTY HAS CHOSEN FOR YOU MERCY NOW!"**

She flipped him head over heels, grabbed him by the neck, and then brought him close to her face.

His backside stinging like he never thought possible, Greg looked into the glowing red eyes and face of his assailant. Its mouth was partly open, revealing long, pointed fangs and a red tongue that lolled out, dripping saliva. The creature stroked his hair, sniffed, and then licked the tears off his face. It then roared and flung him headfirst into a sack.

That done, Mary Lou departed in order to finish her journey.

She made a few more stops as the night wore on, but was soon on her way back north following a single stop in Hawaii. She had considered stopping at home, but decided to wait for a happier occasion than _Krampusnacht_. Mary Lou wasn't sure whether her prisoners could hear her or anything else when they were in the sacks, but she preferred to keep a bit of decorum. Hearing her squee as she reunited with her parents simply would not do at all.

She landed at _Eisenhochburg_ greeted by Kevin and Abby.

"Shhhhh," she whispered. "I'm glad to see you, but please, no levity around the prisoners, understood?" They nodded somberly.

She had filled five baskets full of misbehaving children but was able to easily carry them down to the detention area and into Initial Holding. With the door secured, she then emptied out the baskets as dozens of children poured out.

" **EVERYONE, UP AGAINST THE WALL!** **_SCHNELL!"_**

They scampered to their feet and did as they were told.

"You are now in the Iron Stronghold where you will remain until you are deemed to have been properly trained to behave! That could be a short time or however long it takes. As it is, **_I_** have five hundred years – so I can afford to be thorough!" She paced around, fixing each and every one of them with a furious stare before she continued.

"I am the Krampus! The legend of the Krampus is centuries old…but I am no legend, no mere myth, and you are in my domain. You will learn more over the duration you are here – but for now, I shall assign you to your individual cells."

As there were three hundred and fifteen prisoners to process, this took a bit of time. She would interview them over the next week, either individually or in groups, she hadn't really decided. Mary Lou locked the door of the detention area, and headed back up to her living quarters.

One down, 499 to go…

* * *

(For those of us unfamiliar with the Cyrillic alphabet, _«Забойцы»_ is pronounced "Zahboitsi" with the " _ы"_ being like "ee" whispered in the back of the throat.)

A/N: About time, eh? No excuse, but I apologize for the wait! This is either the next to last chapter or the one before that. It's been a busy two months. Thank you all for following and favoriting.


	14. Chapter 14 - Penalty Phase

It was as if she had not even lain down before Mary Lou felt herself being shaken awake.

"Krampus...Krampus…it's late. Time to get up."

Mary Lou opened her eyes to see the delicate face of Kevin, his brow slightly furrowed.

"'Morning Kevin. What time is it?"

"Any time you want as long as its thirty-six minutes past the hour. But you've been asleep for eleven hours. Are you feeling all right?"

Mary Lou shrugged, "I suppose so. Why?"

"It…it looks like some of the changes from last night stuck. It's not that bad," he said hurriedly. But Mary Lou was already out of bed and checking her mirror. She moaned slightly. The extra horns had vanished, but her original horns were longer and thicker, starting to curl back towards the front. Her fur had lengthened and curled wildly all over and her fangs had gotten larger.

"I guess that's supposed to make it easier to frighten our guests now, and keep them in line," said Abby as she served Mary Lou a large slab of nearly-raw reindeer meat. Mary Lou tore into it, her fangs slicing effortlessly through the warm bloody flesh.

"I guess so," Mary Lou agreed, washing it down with creamy hot cocoa. "How are our guests doing, guys?"

Kevin let out a sigh and Abby squeezed her eyes shut and said: "Most of them are crying; some are just in shock. They're all terrified."

"Good," replied Mary Lou gruffly, her tail swishing. "I want them to be. And don't look so shocked, a bit of fear is what's needed to set them right!"

"Oh no," said Kevin. "We agree with you! It's just that…well, seeing _you_ talk like that and thinking how you were when you first came up here. It's kind of awesome." Mary Lou chuckled and grunted. "No matter, let the prisoners stew in their cells for the rest of the day. I'll start talking to them tomorrow."

This decision was not borne out of laziness, but of what Mary Lou thought would be most effective. For the first half of the day, the Krampus and three scheduled interviews between child and Krampus. They needed to get them all finished before Christmas since they didn't want to leave any of those who were only there for the month uninformed about what was going on, and they _did_ want the longer-term inmates wondering if they might be going home sooner, nothing wrong with offering some false hope in this case. In any case, they would be averaging about twelve interviews a day.

"Is there a place to hold these conversations?" Mary Lou asked.

"Ernst didn't tell you?" asked Kevin. "You actually have a sizable antechamber just inside the dungeon, with a throne of sorts for you and a place for the child to stand or sit. It's rather intimidating."

The antechamber, upon viewing it, was just what Mary Lou had in mind. It would be hard for anyone not to be intimidated by anyone sitting in the massive black iron chair. Rings for chains adorned the wall, and chains ran up along oaken rafters to an unlighted iron chandelier.

"Go ahead and get some candles, Kevin," she ordered. "I want the chandelier lighted up for tomorrow until December 20th."

"Yes, Krampus."

* * *

It was decided that they would wait until the first Monday after January first to begin actually teaching the remaining prisoners. December would mainly be about intimidation and breaking down resistance. Whether it was due to her own intelligence or the office working it's magic on her even further, Mary Lou didn't know, but by the time the trio broke for their evening meal, they had developed what appeared to be a well-rounded educational program based on a classical education…scaled, of course, for someone between eight and eleven years old.

"So we're not going right into the _Aeneid_ , I take it?"

"DEFINITELY NOT!" declared the Krampus. "That's in February."

But it was time to discover who they would be teaching.

* * *

She was British, from just up the road of Southampton. Sophia Miller was nine years old and was selected for her tendency to be a spoiled brat as well as for cruelly bullying younger children at school. She had first been beaten by the black creature on her bottom and then seized and cast into that horrid dark bag, and then thrown out hours later onto the dark grey flagstones of what turned out to be a prison of some kind. Sophia had fought the urge to cry, but terror overwhelmed her and she broke down shortly after the creature, Krampus it called itself, grabbed her and one of the boys and frogmarched them into separate cells.

Sophia was sitting on the cot provided, having no concept of time, confused and frightened as she was, but after a while, another boy…and she was surprised to see that he had pointed ears…looked in on her.

"You're to come with me. The Krampus wants to talk to you."

"A-all right, b-but who are you."

"Be silent," he said quietly as he put shackles around her wrists and ankles. He then escorted her firmly down the hall and up a flight of stairs to a lone iron-bound oak door. He knocked thrice.

"Enter," answered a coarse voice. They did as instructed. The same creature that abducted her was sitting on what she could only think of as a throne of wrought iron. Beside it sat a girl, also with pointed ears. A somber expression was on her face. The boy brought Sophia to a stubby bench in front of the Krampus.

"Sophia Miller, is it?" the monster asked.

Sophia nodded wordlessly.

"You will address her as 'Krampus,'" said the boy.

"Yes, Krampus."

"Very good. Thank you, Kevin, you are dismissed." The boy bowed and departed. The Krampus regarded her for a full minute, gazing at her with eyes of flaming red and yellow. It was as if the beast was staring into her soul, unraveling layer by layer her innermost thoughts and feelings, merciless and penetrating.

Mary Lou was wondering what the hell she should say.

"Sophia…do you know why you have been brought here?"

"No Krampus," she answered, shaking her head.

The Krampus nodded. "Krampus is a servant of Father Christmas. As you know, he gives gifts on Christmas and Christmas Eve. Those who are naughty receive a lump of coal. Those who are naughty in the extreme are referred to Krampus. Most of them are simply scourged. However, some I deem to be deserving of additional correction. Sophia Miller, you are in the latter group. You have been excessively cruel to younger children…while at the same time intolerably demanding of your mother and father. Do you agree with or do you deny these accusations?

Sophia swallowed hard. She knew the accusations were true, if anything they were understated. But she didn't know if admitting them was the right thing to do or not, did Krampus actually know or was she just going by what she had heard? The last thought only remained with her for a second or two before she realized that she wasn't dealing with a mere police officer or any mortal for that matter.

"I agree with them, Krampus."

"Good," answered the beast quietly. "I would not wish to cause you unnecessary suffering. However you are to be punished for your misdeeds: you will remain in my cells until you are deemed to be fit to return home, perhaps a little wiser." Krampus turned to the girl. "Shave her head, return her to her cell." Her hair would be fully restored regardless of how long or how short they kept Sophia, thought Mary Lou, but she thought it wise to let her wear her shame outwardly.

A few days passed, more prisoners were brought before her, more punishments assigned. The power wielded in the birch branches was restricted beyond the bounds of her keep, but within her demesne, Mary Lou found herself to be extremely powerful.

"Return me to my original human form!" she commanded before the mirror in her bedchamber after a particularly heartbreaking interview in which she declared the guilty party must remain incarcerated for no less than seven years.

She was not that powerful. "Figures," she growled. But she did have cause for celebration. After an exchange of emails, she and her brother decided that he could come up after the term was over, a full ten days before Christmas. She would have most of her work done before then and with that in mind, she accelerated the interview schedule.

December wore on and they weren't going in any particular order, hoping that it would keep her mind fresh.

"You just keep your chin up, Alejandro. Based on what I have seen, heard, and read, I deem your sin worthy of punishment and further time in confinement – but you will be going home soon. You are dismissed. Abby, see that Alejandro makes it to his cell." Abby bowed and did as she was asked.

"Next prisoner, enter!" Mary Lou ordered.

Kevin entered, gripping Greg Warner by the upper arm. Mary Lou breathed deep, and then caught herself. Must show impartiality, she remembered. Check the facts; don't let your personal feelings interfere with justice.

"You are Gregory Warner, correct?" she asked, her voice even and gruff.

"Yes Krampus."

"We have 'discussed' your misbehavior to a certain extent when I took you into custody. But let's discuss them further, so that I may better determine the penalty you shall pay. Is it true that you have deliberately injured small animals over the past year?"

Greg hung his head and nodded.

"And that you have bullied Peter Cohen a number of times?"

"Yes Krampus."

"You have also lit small fires in your yard and lied to your parents about it, haven't you?"

"That's also true."

"Have you set them anywhere else, boy?"

"No Krampus, I haven't?"

"You're sure about that?"

"Well, other than when I went camping with Dad on the Susquehanna, no."

Mary Lou chuckled. This, she thought, is why I have to do these interviews. Sometimes these inaccuracies in the reports did occur.

"Just you and your father, huh? Why not your brother, Matthew?"

Gregory shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "He had to go to summer school. Er, Krampus." So that explains that, she thought.

"All right, Gregory. The accusation of arson was without merit – but you must still be punished for animal cruelty, bullying, and lying to your parents. You shall remain here until I deem that you have learned your lesson." Which would not be too long, Mary Lou thought, just a few more days. Kevin removed the prisoner. He was doing double duty that day, as his girlfriend was away on other business…business that Mary Lou couldn't wait for her to finish.

* * *

There weren't a whole lot of places in Pittsburgh where someone can be discreetly picked up in a flying sleigh, and for this reason, Todd Dobbins took a taxi from the University of Pittsburgh across the river to Toms Run Nature preserve. He had no idea what to expect or who to expect, he just hoped it would be within an hour of the arranged time. Come to think of it, he would be happy if the sleigh arrived before the local police did.

He had been waiting about half an hour when he heard a female voice.

"Todd?" He turned toward the voice to see a small figure tentatively approaching him from the shadows.

"Mary Lou?" He received a gentle laugh in return.

"No, I'm not Mary Lou," she said as her face appeared in the light. "But since you are asking for her, I'll assume that you're her brother. I'm Abby," she said, extending her hand. He reciprocated, shaking hers.

"She's been pretty busy, I guess?"

Abby nodded, removing the touque that she used to hide the tips of her ears and massaging her head. "Very busy lately, but we're winding things down. You should have plenty of time together, and there is so much to do. With Christmas coming ever closer, our workload is going to drop off. Santa's workshop on the other hand…"

"Busy as one-handed paperhangers?"

"Yep!" she agreed with a giggle. Todd grabbed his bag and followed the elf through the woods to where she had landed the iron sleigh.

"Is this yours?" Todd asked as they leveled off and headed north.

"It's your sister's. She asked me to pick you up."

Todd nodded; a question on his tongue that he was hesitant to ask. Abby did say that Mary Lou had been busy after all. But Abby caught a glimpse of him and tied off the reins, then took his hands in her.

"You know," she asked quietly, "your sister doesn't look like your sister anymore, right?"

"I know. She had sent us an email shortly after her big shift. I don't know exactly what she looks like; just that she is completely unrecognizable as Mary Lou Dobbins."

Abby nodded. "I think she's still a bit shy about her appearance. She's good at her job; she puts up a brave front more and more often, but…"

Todd shuddered for his little sibling. "Hurting," he said quietly.

* * *

They flew north, and it wasn't long before saw the aquamarine hues of the Northern Lights. A couple short hours later and they were landing to the side of the black keep.

"Welcome to _Eisenhochburg,_ Todd. Let's go see your sister." He took his bag and followed Abby to the front door.

Abby lifted the heavy knocker and let it fall. A solid clang echoed both in Todd's ears and for miles around. They waited.

"This might take a while," said Abby. And she was completely wrong; it was only moments before they heard a loud thud, then a shuffle, then another thud echoing on metal."

Then the most guttural voice Todd had ever heard spoke: **_"Wer klopft!? Wer wagt sich diesem Ort zu nähern?"_**

"Oh get off it, Kevin! C'mon and let us in! Cold out here!" Abby snorted. "My boyfriend, playing around."

Kevin opened the door and Todd saw another elf, this one was male, and beside him was the Krampus.

 _His little sister?_

"Hi Todd, welcome to my home." Her brother stood staring at her, eyes wide at the sight and sound of the beast who spoke to him. _God no_ , she thought.

"Mary Lou?" he asked. Abby squeezed his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's me," she answered, soft and gentle as she could manage.

"Mary Lou…Mary Lou!" Todd took a deep breath and spread his arms wide. Mary Lou sobbed with relief as her brother hugged her as tightly as he could. She reciprocated, but not nearly as hard, knowing that she could break him in half with her powerful muscles, her tail wrapped around Todd's backside. She gently licked her brother's forehead, and then she led them to the parlor and the four of them sat down. She took her brothers hand's into her paws

"I was so worried that I'd frighten you off," she said softly.

Todd hesitated. "You did…shock me. I still can't believe it," he said, looking at what used to be small pale hands, now bigger than his by half. Mary Lou shook her head.

"Neither can I. If it wasn't for Abby and Kevin…and really, everyone else…I think I would have gone insane."

Todd gingerly stroked the fur on her sister's shoulder. She sighed with pleasure. "Yeah, I learned really quickly why animals enjoy being petted so much. Just not my horns – or things will get a little weird!" At that, Todd burst out laughing, breaking the tension. "TMI! TMI!" said Todd and Abby together.

* * *

They were nearly done with the interviews, a day or two should finish them out. Mary Lou was undecided whether or not she should allow her brother to see her in action. On one hand, she liked the open court system, on the other; it was almost like a breach of patient-doctor confidentiality. Except for one case, had it been discovered back in the world, it would surely have resulted in the accused being tried as an adult. Even so, Mary Lou had been weighing the facts and the potential penalties carefully. She had a sentence in mind. It horrified her.

So it had come at last to this. Her last case for this year. Kevin brought in a wild-eyed and haggard Danik Marchenko before the Krampus. Danik wore chained manacles around his ankles, wrists, and neck. Todd sat in the corner, observing.

"What is your name, young man?"

"My name is Danik Marchenko, Krampus."

"You know why you are here, don't you?"

The boy shrugged. "I threw rocks at animals…and hurt a girl who would have reported it."

"Oh? Is that it?" Mary Lou struggled to remain calm. She had given Todd a copy of Marchenko's file just before the session started, and he was now looking up and down, back and forth between the file and the boy himself. "What have you done, Danik?" she asked.

Danik stared down at his bare feet.

"Krampus asked you a question!" shouted Abby, furious.

At this, Danik leaned forward, wrapping his arms around him as if to shut out the world. To Todd's horror, his sister growled low, so low that he felt the chair he was in shudder.

"Boy…" she said warningly. "I shall ask you one last time. You are perilously close to the point of no return." She sighed, exasperated. "Danik, please turn around and look behind you." At this he looked up, turned and saw a young man behind him wearing a puzzled expression. Danik turned back around to face the Krampus, now himself puzzled.

"Danik…that's my brother. I would rather not be forced to impose the penalty you are very close to receiving with him watching. So, as I said, I shall ask you one more time: _What have you done?!"_

The boy just leaned forward and wrapped his arms around himself once again. _Dammit_ , she thought. Okay…okay, she could order Todd out…but she knew that it would be better to see justice applied. Alright, she thought, let's get on with it in ten…nine…eight...one and one quarter…(sigh)…zero.

" **SO BE IT!"** She swished around the branches and thunder and lighting shook the anteroom. **"SO BE IT! BRING FORTH THE SPIRIT OF JULIJA SADOUSKIJA!"** The room shuddered, but that was nothing compared to the shuddering felt by Todd and Danik. A small shining orb came out of the upper corner of the room. It soon lengthened and widened into a small figure, that of a young girl. Her beauty was otherworldly.

"I was told my presence might be needed," she said brightly. "Hi!"

"We wish it wasn't," replied the Krampus. "But the last person with whom you had contact on earth has been…difficult."

"Oh no. Danik, is she right?" Thoroughly stunned, Danik now could only nod. Julija shook her head sadly. "What if he had cooperated?"

"My intention in that case would have been to keep him here for five years, then allow him to return…having notified the police, of course, and providing them with all the necessary physical evidence. That mercy, Danik has forfeited," she said with a growl. Julija gently squeezed the beast's forearm.

"So you must do what you must do…Mary Lou," a grim smile on her face. "And so will I." She spread her arms and projected on the wall exactly what happened on the day her life was taken.

"Would you like to see it again from your perspective, Danik?" asked Mary Lou coldly. Danik shook his head. His face was white with fear.

"Do you dispute what Miss Sadouskija has revealed to us in plain sight? You must answer."

"No Krampus, I do not."

"In that case, I find you guilty of murder. Do you have anything to say before I impose punishment?"

"No," he said quietly. He just wanted to get it over with now.

"Julija, did you wish to add anything?"

"I do," answered the shimmering girl. She glided over to Danik, cupping his face in her warm glowing hands. "You needn't worry about _me_ , Danik. I am secure and my eternity shall be one of ever-growing joy. And I offer you full forgiveness for what you did to me." Her face now grew stormy. "But now you will pay." She stood and faced the Krampus. "Impose judgment."

Krampus pointed the birch bundle at the boy. "Danik Marchenko, having been found guilty of murder, you are to remain here in _Eisenhochburg_ for the next ten years – after which you will turn yourself into your local authorities. Failure to do so will bring about another visit by me and we shall repeat this process for however long it takes. During the time you are here however, you will no longer have the means to raise your hand against anyone."

At this, Danik screamed as sharp pain passed through his arms into his hands. They throbbed furiously, turning bright red, as if they would explode. The red darkened into purple and continued to darken. The boy's screams intensified as the skin split in places, and a pale green, foul-smelling fluid burst out of the cracks. His hands darkened to black and to the horror of everyone – they withered away, bones falling and crumbling to dust on the stone floor. He howled in terror.

But that was only the beginning. "As Julija's body goes, so too will your own." Here, Danik gagged, feeling his stomach filling with river water. He opened his mouth, perhaps to beg for mercy, perhaps to curse his tormentor, but muddy river water poured out onto the floor. Danik's skin turned pale, then grey, his flesh bloating. Small U- and V-shaped marks began to appear, and the flesh within the marks began rotting…and soon aquatic plant life began emerging.

"Judgment is set," declared the Krampus. "Take the prisoner to his cell." Kevin did as he was ordered. As the door closed, Mary Lou buried her head in her paws.

"He'll…he'll be restored, won't he?" Mary Lou looked up as she heard Todd's quavering voice.

"After…ten years…yes," she answered. He'll be released on what will then be the day after Christmas 2017 and be permitted to confess his crime and the civil authorities will deal with him. Or...I will deal with him. But until Boxing Day 2027, whatever would have happened to her body over the course of ten years will happen to his."

"Isn't that awfully harsh?"

" _Very_ awfully harsh. But justice often is. It's in fact a mercy, Todd. Better that he learns his lesson and takes his punishment in this life than in the next one. Do not forget also what Danik did to Julija, or what he did to the cats and other small animals.

Todd chuckled, shaking his head. "Now I wonder if my little sister is now my older one." She scoffed at this as she stood and walked to the back of the room. "I've always been smarter than you, my lovely Todd. Now I just get the added bonus of several thousand years of ancient wisdom. You got the looks in this family."

* * *

Christmas drew closer and Mary Lou and her brother explored the _Eisenhochburg._ Now that the prisoners knew their fates, the tension eased somewhat and they spent more time just talking with the boys and girls. Christmas, after all, was still Christmas, and though Santa didn't give them any gifts, he did deliver packages of fruit and cookies to enjoy.

"Remember, this will be my second Boxing Day," she told Todd as they were setting up the sleigh. Mary Lou was sad, despite this being the pleasant part of her job; she didn't want Todd to go. At least they would fly around the world together and be reunited – for a little while – with her parents.

The wind was picking up as they departed and Todd and Mary Lou snuggled together closely. The route was the same as before and they flew across the oceans and continents returning the reformed souls and reuniting them with their families. Todd sat in the sleigh while the actual transfer took place, but as it only took a few seconds as far as he could tell, he didn't mind at all.

"I'm going to skip over us and take care of the west first, she informed Todd. We'll finish up at home. I just have one to drop off in Eastern PA." She did as she said, then headed back to Pennsylvania. "Last one," she said as she brought the sleigh to a halt in front of the Warner house. "I'll be just a minute," she said as she took the sack and used the branches locket to slip into the house. It was already automatic for her, being able to gauge the precise amount of pressure to open and close the door with minimal noise. She slipped on up to Greg's bedroom, opened and shut the door, and removed Greg from the sack.

"Greg, you're home," she said gently, stroking his hair. "It's been so nice to meet you." He said nothing, but hugged her tightly. She chuckled, and placed her hand on the sleeping figure and the soul hugging her. Within an instant, the transfer was made.

"What are you doing with my brother!?"

Her blood ran cold. This wasn't supposed to happen. She rose to her feet, struggling to remain calm. She turned to face the voice.

"Hello, Matthew." Matt was holding a 12-gauge shotgun from six feet away. Firearms would do nothing to her, but with Todd in the sleigh and the noise it would make, it would likely get ugly in a hurry.

"Holy shit!" breathed Matt. "What are you? And how do you know my name."

"Well that's three questions you asked so far, Matt. Give me a moment to catch up. First, I am returning your brother. He has spent the last three weeks with me in my realm making amends for his misdeeds. Greg is a lovely child. Second, I am the Krampus, also known as the Christmas Demon, since though my motives are wholly pure – my methods can seem extraordinarily cruel to this disgustingly soft generation. Mind you, I was called that long _long_ before this generation. Thirdly, as I was required to take Greg with me for punishment on December 5th, I needed to also learn about his family. Did you manage to pass that summer school class that Greg told me about?"

He lowered the gun. "Aced it. I managed to get a good tutor." Mary Lou's heart did the Snoopy dance.

"Oh, congratulations. This tutor must have been good. What was she like, er…him like… It like?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"She. The tutor was a girl named Mary Lou. I thought we might have had something, but she was so frightened about her condition that she pushed me away. I don't know where she is now; somewhere in Canada is what I heard." He sat on the foot of Greg's bed. Mary Lou joined him

"I know of Mary Lou, Matt," she whispered. "She loves you and misses you." She put an arm around his shoulder. "But I'm afraid her condition has worsened. You wouldn't even recognize her now."

Todd nodded, squeezing the creature's forearm.

"Listen, I had better go," she said. "It was nice meeting you." They stood up together.

"It was good to see you again, Mary Lou." He winked at the beast's shocked expression. "I'm _lazy_ , not _stupid_."

* * *

Todd checked his watch. What was taking his sister so long? Just as he thought that, she came rushing out of the Warner house.

"Kinda got hung up on something back there but it's okay, let's go home," she said hurriedly and with a quick snap of the reins they were off and up and landing at the Dobbins' household within the span of a minute or less.

The two exchanged glances.

"How d'you wanna do this, squirt?"

"You go first, Todd, but I'll be right behind, and since I'm seven feet tall now, it won't matter."

They got to the door, and Todd knocked on it.

Daniel opened the door. His face whitened when he saw his daughter, but smiled just the same as he embraced his children.

"Come in! Come in! Catherine, the kids are here!"

"Oh!" Catherine came running downstairs with a smile on her face – and gasped, her hand going to her mouth as she saw Mary Lou's new form. She slowed to a hesitant walk. She hugged Todd tightly, her eyes filling with tears, and then turned to her daughter.

"Oh…Mary Lou…" She very gingerly wrapped her arms around the Krampus, deep sobs wracked her body. "My poor little girl."

"Wellll," said Daniel, a wry expression on his face. "This family has a lot to talk about…and a lot of adjusting to do."

"Oh, she is a master at administering justice, Dad. Nothing gets by her – and boy, when she lays that hammer down, you don't want to be on the receiving end!"

"Now Todd, you know full well that my justice is tempered by mercy, the quality of which is not strained, it droppeth like the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath and is twice blessed, benefiting the giver and the receiver."

"And she can drive a Portia." This elicited a moan from Father, Mother, and Sister. Her parents sat on either side of Mary Lou on the living room sofa, examining their daughter as Matt looked on from an easy chair. It was weird, but not unpleasant, anything to satisfy their curiosity and make it easier for them to accept her.

"How does it feel to be like this, sweetheart?"

"Physically…it feels really good. I like having powerful muscles. I love the sensation of having a tail, even without the practical applications. I'm never overly hot or cold because of my fur, and unlike human hair, I feel it every waking moment. It's a wonderful feeling. Psychologically, it's hard – realizing that you are more of a beast than a human, and that's something you also know and are reminded of every waking moment. I hate having a muzzle and fangs and this ridiculous red tongue and I have mixed feelings about the sound of my voice and unconsciously growling every few minutes. But Daddy, I do love my job and the good that I can do as a result."

They all begged her to stay, but she knew she could not linger any longer. With hugs given and tears flowing, she stepped alone into her iron sleigh, and flew off into the night. But she had one last stop to make. She had no reason that night to use the time shift circuit, but she plugged in December 26th, 2015. She did a quick U-turn and landed.

She snuck into the home, and up the stairs, into a room that was very familiar to her. There was one person in the room, a small blonde girl of sixteen. Mary Lou reached down to stroke the girl's hair, fighting back tears as she did so. She wondered what would happen if the girl woke up. She didn't think she would scream, she wasn't given to screaming, but she might. There would definitely be questions asked. No, better not risk it. She knelt down and kissed her on the forehead. "I miss you, Mary Lou," she whispered, then slipped away into the night.

Back to the north. Back to the Iron Keep.

"By the way, Krampus, there is a letter for you from the Council." Abby pointed at the corner table upon which sat a large brown envelope.

"A bit early for mail, isn't it?" she asked, but picked up the envelope, easily slicing it open with the claw of her index finger."

 **FROM:** The Council of Legendary Figures

 **TO:** Dobbins, Mary Lou – Acting Krampus and Council Member

 **RE: NOTICE OF VIOLATION**

 _You are hereby informed that your activities of December 26th 2017 and 2015 may constitute a violation of the Code of Secrecy for Legendary Figures. As such, you will present yourself before the Council no later than December 31st to give an account of your actions in order to determine what corrective action may be necessary._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mother Nature_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for your patience again. We are nearly finished. I haven't yet decided if the final chapter and epilogue will be combined or not


	15. Chapter 15 - Judgment

" _But I'm afraid her condition has worsened. You wouldn't even recognize her now,"_ she had said. It was half-true, he said to himself. But the questions she asked and the answers she gave…well…it didn't take much to make the connection.

So – Mary Lou Dobbins was the Krampus. Matthew was unfamiliar with myths and legends, but he was still surprised that he hadn't known that one. He spent a good portion of the twenty-seventh of December searching the internet and learning as much as he could about the legend and comparing it to the reality. She certainly hadn't seemed evil, much less a demon, but would that possibly change as time wore on? The appearance was more or less correct; though while many representations showed the Krampus with monstrous human face, the creature he saw was completely inhuman: a strange combination of goat, bear, and wolf, with a furry nose like a sheep or goat yet still somewhat human. He shuddered at the thought of what she must have gone through in the few months since he had last seen her.

Matt never met Mary Lou's parents, but he was curious about how they were dealing with it, or even if they knew what had happened. They must have, he thought. He felt a pang of sympathy for them in addition what he felt for Mary Lou, and also an urge to do something to help them…

The address was easy enough to find, he just hoped it was the right one…but as there was only one other "Dobbins" in town, it narrowed things down considerably. The Dobbins home was a perfectly ordinary two-story white house with a two-car garage. Since it was a Thursday afternoon, he expected that maybe just Mary Lou's mother was in, but then again, it was the holiday season.

Mr. Dobbins opened the door. He looked at the young man curiously.

"May I help you," he asked finally.

"I…don't know," answered Matt. Now that the moment had arrived, he felt out of his element. "Um, I met Mary Lou at summer school this…summer," wincing upon hearing his eloquence.

"Mary Lou isn't here today, I'm afraid. She was here briefly, but she went back up north to continue treatment."

"Yes, Mr. Dobbins. I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name is Matthew Warner, and I am fully aware of her 'condition.' She apparently brought my little brother back the day after Christmas."

Mr. Dobbins smirked, tilting his head at the teenager. "Brought him back from where, and why? And how do you know it was her? Describe her."

 _Well, now she looks something like a mishmash of goat, demon, werewolf, and bear_ thought Matt, but he wasn't going to say that to her father. It might be offensive. "You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Dobbins, but I know she was concerned about her appearance when the summer session dismissed. I have to assume that her 'condition' had worsened."

Mr. Dobbins nodded impatiently. "When did you notice your brother was missing in the first place?"

Again, this brought Matthew up short. Except for what the Krampus had told him, he never would have guessed that Greg had been gone. Perhaps the boy had seemed a little quiet over the past few weeks, but maybe he was imagining it. He flushed with embarrassment. "Um, I just saw something, um…sorry. Please tell Mary Lou I said 'hi' and I hope she is better soon."

"I will, thanks, have a good day." Mr. Dobbins shook his head as the boy departed. When he drove off, he retired to his study and turned on the computer.

 _Mary Lou,_

 _I just had the 'pleasure' of meeting Matt Warner. I'm a bit concerned. He said he saw you "returning his brother," and that you had met during summer school. I didn't tell him anything and he got pretty flustered when I politely questioned him. Is this something we need to worry about?_

 _Love you, sweetheart!_

 _Dad_

* * *

Mary Lou read the official-looking notice two or three more times before handing it wordlessly to Kevin. He perused it critically. "Krampus, what did you _do_ last night? I don't think you had any drop-offs to make two years ago, did you?"

"No," she growled quietly. "I just wanted to remind myself of how I used to be."

"Did the consequences of what would happen if your younger self _woke up_ ever cross your mind," asked Abby in a stern voice.

Mary Lou nodded her agreement. "I did, but I am not and was not a person who wakes up in the middle of the night for no reason."

Kevin chuckled at this. "Yeah, well, a massive horned creature over two meters tall looming overhead could very easily tip off the survival instincts of a sleeping human. I'd say you were awfully lucky you _didn't_ wake yourself up!" He loudly flicked the notice with his forefinger. "Otherwise the wording here would be a lot harsher – if half the council didn't show up here in person. Torches and pitchforks, know what I mean?"

"But, I'm not really in trouble now?" Mary Lou asked hopefully.

Kevin shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so; it depends on what they think you did last night as well. If it's serious, then yes, there could be a problem."

Mary Lou excused herself. "I'm going to go downstairs and check on the tenants." They would not actually commence classes till the first Monday after New Years Day – January the eighth – but she decided that it was time to reveal her gentler side, such as it was. "Abby, would you please make a light snack for each of them? Nothing sweet, but make it nutritious and small."

"Yes ma'am," agreed Abby with a smile.

"Thanks. And Kevin, if you would, please see about finding them some reading material for them. Any language is fine."

Mary Lou went down to the dungeons to meet her prisoners and explain the current situation. Her hoof and hind paw echoed on the stone floors as she roamed the halls. Her mind raced; considering briefly and then dropping from consideration ideas of what the notice would mean. Would she be dismissed? It would be more an award than anything else, she reasoned, even living out the rest of her natural days in this form would be preferable to bearing it for five centuries. She shook her head vigorously, snapping herself out of it. _One day at a time_ , she thought, _one day at a time. Do your job!_

* * *

The inmates were now awake and by now and to her surprise – to say nothing of theirs – she was able to recall and greet them by name. How reassuring it was to know that a fearsome chimera/demon remembered your name was unclear to her, but she decided to now play the part of a stern teacher rather than that of prison warden or dungeon master. They were, obviously, no threat to her. She had them all assemble – all but one – in the dungeon courtyard, a chamber exposed to the open sky, but fully inaccessible to freedom. The children huddled together tightly as frigid winds spiraled down on them and allowed the voice of the Krampus to carry while making her appearance even more wild-looking.

"As most of you know," she announced, "some of your fellow inmates are no longer with us. It was determined that their deeds were not severe enough for them to remain here longer than a few weeks. The same is not true of you, as you must now surely realize. You will remain here until I decide you are ready, and part of getting ready involves strengthening your minds and bodies."

This announcement was greeted with low moans, but she continued. "You will spend your time here learning and working. My companions and I will hone your minds, and after lessons, you will work with the elves, Abby and Kevin, to earn your keep. Practical skills that you will take from this place that you can put to good use if you are ever deemed fit to leave my employ!"

More groans and a few sobs emanated from the assembly.

"ENOUGH!" she roared to silence them. "You wish to live in my beautiful home, you live by my rules! You learn well, you work well, you will be treated well!" She sniffed the cold air – it may as well have been St. Croix for all the effect it had on her. "You do not want to be left out of doors here at this time of year!"

She detected a rather snide comment from one of the older boys, a lad named Seth from Leicester.

"Rura Penthe!?" she snarled. "I'll 'Rura Penthe' you, Adams!" She chuckled despite herself as she saluted – a tight fist to her chest. "QAPLA'!"

"But think of it," she continued sincerely, "for at least eleven months you'll have the opportunity to share time – with no language barrier – with children from every corner of the globe. Those of you familiar with the internet will find that it doesn't compare with real face-to-face companionship!" She spread her arms. "This punishment can also be a tremendous opportunity. _Make the most of it!"_ She looked over the boys and girls. "Are there any questions?"

"Krampus, who are you?" The question was asked by an eight-year-old girl from Zaire.

The voice of the Krampus became airy and hollow…"I am the Shadow of Saint Nicholas. I am the coal to the candy cane. I am the Christmas Demon. I am the dark side of the Spirit of Christmas…"

Esinan was not in the least bit impressed. "Yes, yes, but what I mean is… _who are you?_ "

Mary Lou was brought up short at that. _No, best not to reveal that bit of information at this time._ "I understand your question, Esinan," she said gently, "but that is something that you are not to know and that I am not to tell. I wish I could tell you, it's a fascinating tale, but telling you would benefit none of us. I think that is enough questions. Return to your cells."

When the courtyard had emptied, she followed them do the dungeons and eventually came to the cell of Danik. He was kept in isolation from the others, and only the Krampus was to deal with him, he was her "special project." It was here that Mary Lou Dobbins felt her heart grow hard. The boy was suffering and his suffering pleased her – not out of a sense of cruelty but rather from a sense of seeing justice carried out on a deserving criminal. Even so, she felt obligated to check his condition as it deteriorated. A quick flick of the branches and the door opened before her.

The air inside was foul, and Danik huddled upright on his cot. He gasped as he saw the Krampus approach, the water in his saturated body made breathing difficult.

"Help…me," he gasped."

Mary Lou growled. "You're now feeling the river water flooding your lungs. It's nothing more or less than what she would have felt."

"A rock…I…killed her with a rock."

"No, you _assaulted_ her with a rock. You knocked her unconscious – but she drowned in the river."

"…mercy!"

"Danik, mercy is what you have been granted. The suffering you have caused warrants a much more severe punishment than what you are experiencing – more severe than what I or any earthly government can possibly impose on you."

"She died…quickly…not suffer."

"It is said, Danik, that drowning can be a very pleasant or a rather agonizing way to die. It doesn't matter though. The suffering you caused did not end when Julija entered Heaven. Did you ever think of Julija's family?"

Danik remained silent.

"Did you consider the lives that she might have saved or improved had she lived?"

Danik slowly shook his head.

"Because of your cruel and shortsighted act, a great many lives will be diminished – yours included. The mercy offered, Danik, is the opportunity to understand this, learn from this…and make amends for this. And amends you will make, I assure you, boy." With this, she stood and left the cell, the heavy iron door clanging shut and locking behind her.

She returned to her own chamber to take her mind off things. She turned on the computer and her eyes narrowed as she read her father's email.

"Oh no…no way!" A sharp pang shot through her body. "This will not go well!" What had Matt been thinking, what did he expect to accomplish by doing such a thing? Make her look bad before the Council, as if he would even know about it.

* * *

The hearing was held in a small, nondescript and otherwise unused storage room within a stone's throw of Santa's workshop. Though it was described as a hearing, not a trial, she realized there was more to it than that since she was greeted by the whole council with Mother Nature and Father Time presiding.

"This hearing will come to order," declared Mother Nature, rapping her gavel. "The first and only order of business is to clarify exactly what happened on the nights of December 26th of 2017 and 2015 in the locales of Manheim and Elizabethtown Pennsylvania in the United States of America. If sufficient evidence is found, this board will reconvene for a disciplinary hearing." Mother Nature turned towards the Krampus. "Miss Dobbins, you are free to make any statements if you wish at any time, you may also remain silent. No inference, favorable or unfavorable, will be drawn if you remain silent, but you are expected to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if you do speak, and you may be cross-examined afterwards. Is that understood?"

"I understand, yes."

"Very well. Father Time, please continue."

Father Time read from a piece of parchment: "This is what we know beyond a shadow of a doubt. On or about the night of December 26th, morning of December 27th of this year, the current officeholder of the Krampus, Mary Lou Dobbins, was returning a short-term prisoner of hers, Gregory Warner, to his home of record according to her duties. Unfortunately, she was discovered by the boy's older brother – an older brother with whom Mary Lou Dobbins had a brief relationship earlier this year prior to coming to the _Eisenhochburg_ on a permanent basis. Words were exchanged, but the Krampus was able to return to her duties. Two days later, the older brother, Matthew Warner, paid a brief visit to the former home of Miss Dobbins. Her parents, to their credit and our relief, have denied any and all knowledge about the existence of the Krampus and this Council – though in doing so; they have by way of description expanded the national borders of Canada considerably. What we are left with here is a rather frustrated Matthew Warner.

"Let's consider the incidents one at a time," interrupted Mother Nature. "Does Mr. Warner pose a threat to our secret?"

Father Time shrugged his shoulders. "There could be a danger, but only a slight one. It's not something we should be concerned with unless he is taken much more seriously than what would normally be the case in such a situation." He spoke to the Council as a whole. "As you may know, the guests of the Krampus are left with the lessons they have learned in custody, but the actual details of their internment are forgotten within hours if not minutes upon release. Matthew cannot even expect to have his words corroborated by his little brother."

"What would be the effects if he _was_ taken seriously?"

Father Time pursed his lips at this, and looked harshly at Mary Lou. "To put it bluntly…devastating."

"I see." Mother Nature turned towards Krampus. "Miss Dobbins, would you mind telling us, to the best of your ability, what you and Matthew said to each other?"

"I simply explained to Matt what he was seeing. He was pointing a shotgun at me at the time."

"Did you make any statement to the effect that you are Mary Lou Dobbins?"

"I did not."

"But he was, nevertheless, able to identify you, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"…I do not know."

"Did you mention your real name?"

"I did…after he did. This was in order to get him to lower the gun."

Santa Claus interrupted, "But you didn't _tell_ him your name, did you?"

"No Santa Claus, I didn't identify myself by that name. He only indicated that he knew my actual name after the situation had cooled down and I was on my way out – and I said nothing to him as I left."

"All right, I think we've heard enough," said Mother Nature. "Father Time, please continue with what happened on December 26th, 20 _15_."

"Yes, as this involves an unauthorized jump back in time, we have a bit more detail in a short period of time. After completing her duties in 2017, the Krampus skipped back two years to 2015, the arrival location being her former address in Elizabethtown. She entered her home, went to her bedroom and sat watching herself, of course then in fully human form, sleep. This she did for one hundred and forty-six seconds. She also stroked her hair and kissed her."

A collection of "awws" emanated from the audience. Santa and his wife exchanged worried looks.

Mother Nature's eyes narrowed. "And we know this to be the case, there is no question?"

"These are the facts," said Father Time. "I'm sure Krampus will not object to this record."

"This is true," said Mary Lou, her voice rumbling but quiet. She was terrified, heart pounding, stomach churning, but trying hard not to reveal it. "I did exactly what he described, but it didn't seem like I was there for two minutes."

Scott's eyes closed as he heard this.

"Mary Lou," said Santa in a low voice. "I think we can understand why you did what you did. But it still constitutes a serious violation."

"But did what she did cause any damage to the timeline?"

"I'm afraid the concern here is that it _could_ have, Cupid," said Father Time. "With your permission, Mother Nature, I would like to call for an adjournment." He looked at the Krampus with a severe expression. "I'm afraid we shall have to reconvene in one week's time as a disciplinary hearing. Dismissed!"

Mary Lou felt sick as she got up to leave. Her mind was blank as she walked out the door with the intention of heading back to her home where she would most likely bawl her eyes out.

"Mary Lou! Mary Lou! KRAMPUS!"

She never even heard Santa. Abby greeted her on the sleigh, eyes wide, as her boss wordlessly boarded it. She bit her lower lip and snapped the reins to take Mary Lou back to _Eisenhochburg_.

Mary Lou tried her hardest not to think of what might happen come the fifth of January but in trying to do this, she effectively shut down mentally for the rest of the week. Meals were eaten in silence when she bothered to come down to eat – as opposed to eating in her bedchamber. More often than that, she didn't trouble herself to eat at all.

There was an element of bitterness within her now; was what she had done really all that bad? Could she really be faulted for wanting to remember and see her old self? And what had happened with Matt was simply a fluke, as bad stroke of luck. Her response was nothing more than wanting to defuse a tense situation and avoid a much more dramatic incident. Yet here she was, awaiting punishment. Maybe she should just lock herself in one of the cells next to her…

Ah yes. The one thing that kept her going, kept her motivated to push on was her concern for the kids...

* * *

"She's really up against it, isn't she?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it does feel that way. Even I had to call her out on the little stunt she pulled going back in time. I hope she can forgive me for it."

"It sounds to me as though it needed to be said, especially since you are her supervisor. You would have lost credibility with the Council had you remained silent. In any case, my dear friend, I shall be honored to fulfill your request."

"Thank goodness, and thank you my friend!"

* * *

A week later, January 5th, 2018, they all assembled in the same room. Abby and Kevin were there with her this time, and there were a number of people, human and elf, that she didn't recognize mixed in with those she did. Mother Nature and Father Time arrived and sat down at the dais up front, their faces grim.

"Let us begin," said Mother Nature. "This disciplinary hearing is to determine the appropriate sanction against the Krampus, Mary Lou Dobbins. Father Time?"

Father Time continued, "While consideration must be given to the youth and inexperience of the guilty party, we must also think of the potential danger her actions have caused." He addressed Mary Lou directly. "Your behavior was completely inappropriate, going back to 2015. I speak with some authority on the matter when I say that, had you in fact woken yourself up, it would have caused a tear in the time-space continuum that would have had grievous consequences, certainly for the world if not the local group in this portion of the universe."

Mary Lou hung her head. _Oops, my bad_.

"Mary Lou Dobbins, do you have anything to say for yourself before the Council imposes punishment?"

It occurred to her how odd it was how the Council would switch without warning from using a council member's title to their actual, original name – especially when she was the recipient of the switch. Even odder was that she would be thinking of it now. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago that she was actually preparing for a debate, but now was the right time to use that skill if ever there was one. It might be for nothing, her fate might have already been sealed before she even got up this morning, but she was going to go down swinging. She took a deep breath…and was interrupted before she said a word.

"Father Time, perhaps she should have been better instructed about the possible consequences of using the time circuit for non-business activities. Surely part of the blame falls on me?"

The familiar, German-accented voice came from behind. Mary Lou whipped her head around.

"Ernst!" she cried. He was smartly dressed in a custom-tailored casual Italian suit, completely at ease.

" _Guten Tag_ , Mary Lou! _Und Mein Gott!"_ he said as he looked over his young protégé. "The old magic certainly didn't go easy on you. No wonder that you wanted to see your old self again!" He turned to Mother Nature and Father Time. "Before this hearing goes any further, I would like to address the Council."

Mother Nature and Father Time exchanged amused looks. "It's good to see you again, Herr Müller," said Father Time. "I do wish it was under happier circumstances. In any case, please proceed."

"Thank you, I will."

The former Krampus stood behind the newest version, squeezing her shoulders warmly. "This young lady bears the brunt of my own foolishness, a foolishness that _I_ began in the year 522, during the rule of Justinian. I was in my early thirties at the time, still impetuous, still lacking a degree of patience. What really aggravated me was what I saw as a certain insolence of the children of my village…it was part of what eventually became Munich five hundred years later. I had spent the better part of two years imploring the local parents to teach their children better manners, show their elders more respect. My requests were ignored, or if they were not ignored, the parents did a poor job of imparting this desire to their children. In October of that year, I decided to take action."

"But what action was I to take? I could certainly not impose any form of discipline on them myself. I had no authority; I was merely a simple cobbler, a shoemaker. I had already consulted with the local baron…and his young boy was part of the problem, so you can imagine the outcome of that consultation. The town priest made an effort as well, but he was no more effective than the parents. With God's servants ineffective, I decided to appeal to a… _lower_ authority. Acting on a rumor I overheard at the local tavern, I arranged a meeting with a warlock who lived in a thickly-wooded area nearby. This warlock was also a miller who had established a thriving business even when times were harsh. Naturally, whatever eccentricities he had were overlooked by the local wheat farmers, as his success ensured theirs as well.

Upon meeting him, I explained my plight, foolishly expecting him to prescribe the right course of faction out of the kindness of his heart. Holding to this expectation, I accepted the black grimoire he passed onto me – with the instructions to follow in order to summon the demon called Baphomet on page 216. The fact that I was illiterate at the time made me hesitate, but the warlock assured me that my willingness to bring forth an evil being would be sufficient for the purpose. That said; he handed me the tome which he had wrapped in a burlap flour bag.

That night, both to my amazement and my horror, I found I could read and comprehend as easily as a cleric who had spent two decades in a monastery. The languages were in Latin and Akkadian and I realized that I understood them as well as I understood spoken German, probably better. Unfortunately, this newfound literacy only extended to the grimoire itself – perhaps the implicit concern was that full literacy would encourage to read a book that was, as it says, 'useful for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness." Ernst smiled bitterly. "But that part of the tale comes later. My intention then was to get retribution against those impudent _jungend_ I believed had wronged us…or more honestly…wronged _me."_

Ernst began to pace around the room, now in full professorial mode. "The summoning spell was originally intended for a demon known in ancient Babylon as Pazuzu, but the miller gave me his assurance that Baphomet would be summoned if I simply substituted the names. I'll not repeat the words of the incantation, but the spell was quite simple, requiring, besides the solemn recitation of the words, a few drops of my own blood mixed with that of a stolen goat. My timing to being the search was near perfect, this particular spell was strongest in the days surrounding the Witches Sabbath. After a great deal of stalling, I performed the ceremony as directed and with a great gout of bright orange smoke and flame, I found myself in the presence of Baphomet. There was and is a great deal of similarity of appearance between the demon and the Krampus, except that the demon doesn't spend much time in the polar regions. No offense intended, Mary Lou."

"We shared the same appearance, didn't we, Ernst? No offense taken."

Ernst chuckled and continued. "The demon looked me over, and then spoke in a voice so low that the earthen floor trembled under my feet. 'Greetings, Ernst Müller. I am not pleased with being summoned, nor am I in a patient mood. State your desire and offer payment for my services.'

'My desire is simply to have the authority and the power to punish those children, including those of the nobility, who refuse to honor and submit to their elders as they should.'

"The demon laughed a laugh like the howl of a hurricane. 'Hypocrite! You talk of impudence of the children but you yourself have the cheek to ask a fallen one – a demon – to help you punish these same children for breaking the fourth commandment! But I am open to negotiating. What payment do you offer?'

This brought me up short. I was a decent cobbler, but I hadn't accumulated any significant wealth. I was not about to offer him my soul, though admittedly I had been willing to endanger it. 'A thousand florin,' I offered weakly.

'Denied!' he spat with a roar. 'Money is not something I have in short supply. The currency of the realm with which you wish to treat is souls. You surely know of our Enemy. He desires all to come to Him. We wish to deny Him that pleasure.' The demon became thoughtful, murmuring. 'But the soul of a child, yes, that is precious, were he to bring them down before they find light…yes.' Baphomet raised himself to his full height. 'Ernst Müller, I offer you a pact with darkness: You will be granted the ability and authority to hunt and find wicked and disobedient children. They shall be brought to the place known as the _Vestibule_ for evaluation. Shall they pass our muster; they will be compelled to join the Darkness, lost for eternity. If not, they shall be simply scourged by you and released.'

'And where might I find the vestibule?'

'You won't. When the time is right, it will find you and your captives, and you will know where to enter.'

'I see. And what will I owe?'

'You are to gather for us one thousand souls, age of ten summers or less. You will live as long as that obligation remains unfulfilled and your body will be made stronger and able to bear the passage of time. Do we have an accord?'

Ernst shook his head thinking back on his tale. "I was foolish enough to think that not only would I be able to punish naughty children, I also though that I was clever enough to outwit a demon. After all, I would be immortal if I chose to stop at one soul, or one hundred, or nine hundred and ninety-nine.

'Agreed,' I said. 'We have an accord.' I realized, in part, the foolishness of my decision within moments of the agreement and the sharing of blood with the demon to seal it. Miss Dobbins, I don't know the extent that you suffered over the course of an extended transformation, but for me it was ten minutes of agonizing torment. At the end of it, I was wholly broken, subject to the whims of one of the arch-demons of Mephistopheles.

I barely had time to collect any belongings from home; my appearance only allowed me to sneak through the village at night, and it was a close shave at that. I retreated to the woods, but according to the pact, I could not stay there indefinitely, I had to fulfill the obligation of obtaining the thousand. Within a month, I realized the enormity of my plight: I was to collect only suitable souls under the age of ten…but ten year olds who have reached the undefined age of accountability are few and far between, even in the early Dark Ages, though this fact had not yet occurred to me. It became a comical amusement for Baphomet and his lieutenants to reject even the most unruly child and by December, I was no closer to fulfilling my end of the pact than I was two months earlier. Suicide would have seemed a plausible option, had I not been fully aware of both my temporary immortality and my likely eternity if I succeeded."

The former Krampus smiled at Mary Lou. "It often seems that it's when times are most forlorn that tiny, tiny speck of light appears. I am the first Krampus. At my darkest moment, I was approached by the second incarnation of Sinter Klass. Saint Nicholas, I'm sure you know, had passed into glory nearly a century earlier, but he passed the torch onto a Milos Kokovinis. Yes, yes, he was Greek, but spoke my language perfectly. I was awaiting nightfall, and another probably futile attempt to get a qualified soul, and was feeling rather Bohemian and tremendously sorry for myself (which is actually not an entirely unpleasant feeling, you know?) I didn't even see him approach when he spoke to me.

'You have a look of the infernal realms about you,' he said. 'But there is a sense of good about you as well.' I looked up to him, and there was a subtle, shining radiance about him, a childlike innocence and earnestness. I'm sorry to say I felt a sense of both revulsion towards him, and shame at feeling this way. Evil is repulsed by the light, isn't it? I fought down my aversion and asked him to sit, which he did immediately.

'I mean no offense, but this is not your true form, is it?'

'It is not my original form, no; I was a man not too long ago.'

'Good heavens!' he cried. 'What the fuck happened to you?'

After I recovered from a reaction much like the one you had, I told him the same tale I have been telling you.

'Ernst,' he told me 'that was a stupid and wicked pact you made…but I believe we can make some good come out of it! Pledge your allegiance to the One who guides my steps and come with me, and I'll wager we can make ol' Baphomet wish he had never met you!'

Again, I felt a sense of resistance, but realized that there seemed to be no other hope, so I did as he suggested. Alas, I never did regain my original form, not until nearly fifteen hundred years later, but upon that day in December, I could not have cared less. A few hundred years passed before we moved north and settled in Lapland, then finally to the North Pole, but the nature of Santa Claus became established. Mikos died and passed the mantle onto Kriss Krinkel (Finnish name). From there, the dual legend of Santa Claus and Krampus truly began – a servant of Santa, not Satan. The story became legend, but you all know the truth behind the legend, and you can see it before you."

There was a silence, followed by wild applause. Ernst bowed, and then held up his hands for silence.

"Mother Nature, Father Time, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Cupid, Jack Frost, Sandman, Tooth Fairy, Saint Patrick, Krampus, I stand before you as one who had a full and glorious career on the Council of Legendary Figures, and one that continues as a professor of history and legends at a major university, and that was despite being one who began with the most base of character and through congress with demons. My successor made a mistake, that is true, but a mistake that is infinitesimal in comparison. If my star shines brightly, imagine the glare of hers if she is permitted to continue as justice, true justice demands." He bowed deeply now. "My statement is complete, and I thank the Council."

Following the applause, Mother Nature raised her hands.

"Ernst Müller, this Council thanks you for your revelation, but I have a question: How is it that you remained with Santa Claus through all his incarnations from Mikos to Scott Calvin?"

"It was out of a sense of both penitence and personal obligation, Mother Nature. I was under no compulsion to serve. The demon gave me a form that was perhaps horrifying, but it was also resilient, and I would have felt quite the ingrate not to get as much use out of it as I possibly could."

"…There was no contractual obligation of term?"

"Not for about four centuries, eventually with the evolution of the Council, we decided to make it for fifty years, though I doubt we'll find any official record of it. I don't know where they came up with five centuries, I figured it was something that was decided on behind my back, but since I was on my way out anyway, I didn't think much of it. Five hundred years of compulsory service is a bit much, don't you agree?"

Mother Nature raised her eyebrows. "Hmmmm," she mused. "The Council of Legendary Figures again thanks you for both your testimony and your service, Herr Müller. You may be seated." Ernst did not return to the audience, but grabbed a chair and sat down next to the new Krampus. He gave her arm a warm squeeze.

"Thank you!" she whispered to him with great sincerity.

"You know," he whispered back, "I was able to pick up twenty-seven masters degrees through correspondence during my time on the job. I'm a full professor now. If you want to work on your education, I'll hook you up!" He smiled and winked.

"I've made my decision," said Mother Nature. "Krampus, please rise. …Just Mary Lou Dobbins, Ernst." Ernst blushed slightly and sat back down. Kevin and Abby sat; each holding one of Mary Lou's clawed hands. Mother Nature cleared her throat and continued.

"It is clear to me, Krampus that your intentions were not without honor, and that does mitigate things. Should your exposure to Matt Warner be substantiated, the damage it could cause to the Secret of the Council will be severe and quite likely irremediable. Aggravating this, though it did not in the end do any damage that we can see, you deliberately violated the Code by visiting yourself, something that could have not only put the Council at risk, but the fabric of time itself. _Could have_ , mind you. It did not. So in summary, your purely accidental violation through no fault your own potentially did some severe damage, whilst your deliberate act did no damage at all. So here we are left with a dilemma." Mother Nature paused here, collecting her thoughts.

"Mary Lou Dobbins, I must tell you my original intention was to declare your service unsatisfactory…and since then, I have seen and heard evidence that such a declaration is justified. But that is not all the evidence I have seen and heard. It is therefore my decision that you simply require more experience. I shall therefore increase the term you serve as Krampus by one-fifth. Santa, I believe the original term was for five hundred years, is that right?

"It was."

"Mary Lou, we have all heard reports that you are making an effort to not only discipline but to educate those incarcerated under your care. It would be a great loss to see you removed from office any time soon. Five hundred years…six hundred years doesn't seem enough time for the good you could do."

A wave of nausea washed over Mary Lou, a sick sense of horror. Would it ever end?

"But based on what we have heard from Ernst Müller. I am convinced that the compulsory term for the Krampus is far, far too long. Therefore, Mary Lou Dobbins, I declare the original contract you agreed to be now null and void, and I am now ordering you to serve the new required term for the Krampus. The standard obligation shall now be twenty-five years, and with five years added and one served, you will serve as Krampus for the next twenty-nine years – that is until December 31, 2046. This hearing is concluded."

Being careful not to stub her tail Mary Lou simply sat down and wept, but this time, they were marking unadulterated joy. She embraced Abby, Kevin, and Ernst, then Santa, Carol, and Bernard, who escorted her from the hearing room into another where Santa's elves were preparing a tremendous celebratory meal.

The first Friday of the New Year seemed as good a reason as any to have a feast.

= THE END =

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_** : And so concludes my first written work of any real size that I actually finished. It took a while to get started, but the words flowed easily this time around.

There will be, I assure you, an epilogue. (Illustrations are also being considered.)


	16. Epilogue

_Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception."_

 _"As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night…_

 _And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."_

\- Isaiah 28:15,19

* * *

The day had finally arrived. Years of teaching, punishing, correction, waiting for the day that she thought would never actually come. Yet time of course did pass and Mary Lou had finally completed her last _Krampusnacht_. Her successor would take over within the month.

She couldn't even remember the names of the children that she released the six nights before, or even the trip to Santa's Workshop, it had all seemed to be a blur. Mary Lou didn't care. Her day of deliverance was here at last.

Upon arrival, she had greeted by Bernard and Judy. "The lady of the hour arrives! Come in, come in!" Judy wrapped her arms around Mary Lou, and the three entered the Great Hall.

"My dear Elves," announced Santa Claus, "fellow members of the Council of Legendary Figures, friends and visitor, I am pleased to welcome to Santa's Workshop at the North Pole, the legendary Krampus!" Loud applause echoed in the chamber, as did calls for a speech. Santa held up his hands. "She has served as Krampus for decades. Mary Lou Dobbins has borne the trial of those years silently and without complaint, and now goes off to resume her human life. May my friend's future endeavors be as bountiful as her past ones!"

Again there was much applause. Santa continued. "I shall now hand the floor over to Father Time." The two men shook hands and Santa Claus took his position next to Krampus.

"Mary Lou has taken the reins of perhaps the most difficult position of legendary figures and has performed his duties admirably. She shall be missed, but as a legendary figure emeritus, she is always welcome to speak on the Council." Turning to her he said, "I have no doubts your wisdom shall be strongly considered." Looking Krampus in her eye, he continued:

"I believe it is time to get on to what Miss Dobbins has been waiting for. Santa Claus, are you ready to relieve Krampus of the Birch Bundle?"

Santa showed Father Time his gloves. "I am ready."

"...Proceed!"

Santa Claus stood tall and straight, regal in bearing

"Mary Lou Dobbins, having received and accepted your resignation, I hereby relieve you of all duties and obligations of the office of The Krampus."

Krampus bowed. "Santa Claus, it was my honor to serve. I now pass to you the symbol of the office of Krampus, to be held in your care until such time as the office is filled. In doing so, I officially resign the office and relinquish my duties." She handed the Birch Bundle to Santa Claus. Santa took them in his left hand. They shook hands.

"Congratulations Mary Lou," said Santa, putting his arm around her waist. "Now, I expect you'll want to hit the bathroom right now, and we have one set aside for you right over there. You deserve a bit of privacy.

"Thank you, Santa!" She could already feel the magic flowing out of her body. She reached up to feel her head – and felt her horns receding. Walking quickly on mismatched feet, Mary Lou stumbled into the bathroom and shut the door. Her horns had fully receded into her head. She gasped, her skin prickling as the mass of tightly woven fur reversed its growth, pulling into her skin while her skin itself lightened from dark grey to a healthy shade of pinkish ivory. The sharp features of her face softened as her muzzle retracted into a childlike oval face. Ears became soft and rounded. Muscles shrank from monstrous to simply athletic. Her cloven hoof split into five toes and her upper hoof stretched into a foot. Claws withdrew and were replaced by flat nails. Tusk-like fangs shrank into flat, clean, white teeth. Mary Lou gasped as her hair follicles reverted to their normal growth pattern and her blond hair returned to its formal glory.

Thirty years worth.

And that was that. Scissors and a razor had been provided and Mary Lou snipped fifteen feet of hair to her preferred short and simple style parted on the right.

She had scarcely aged over the decades, but her time as Krampus had slightly altered her body. She seemed taller than her original five feet even, and she was considerably more muscular than the Christmas on which she had first handled that Birch Bundle. She would have to check with Father Time about that. Like the razor and scissors, several sets of clothes had been thoughtfully provided, and she changed into one of the pairs of blue jeans and a grey flannel shirt. She stepped out of the bathroom.

Cheers greeted her as she returned to Santa and Father Time.

"Gentlemen," she said in a voice she had sorely missed. "I stand relieved."

They bowed in return. "Mary Lou, your retirement package has been prepared and is waiting for us on the sleigh. I take it that you wish to return to Pennsylvania as quickly as possible."

"Oh, yes please, Santa!" No need to tarry. It was time to return to her old life. She could barely contain herself as they headed towards the sleigh. No longer protected by her own coat, Mary Lou eagerly donned the forest green parka that an elf provided her. A final exchange of farewells and the sleigh headed south towards the American eastern seaboard.

Her heart leapt when she saw the retirement package that that been arranged. Combined with the fund that her father had set up, the years had expanded her account to nearly seven million dollars. She was wealthy, young, and free. And now, at long last, very human.

Santa grunted. "That's odd."

"What?"

"Just a burst of electromagnetism over North America," he said, pointing to the sensors. Santa's sleigh had been upgraded several times while she had served as Krampus and now was advanced as any fifth-generation fighter jet.

"Meaning?"

"It could mean several…" He turned on the shortwave radio – and their blood became ice in their veins.

"… _has confirmed thermonuclear explosions of undetermined magnitude over Frankfurt-Main, NATO Headquarters in Brussels, and RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Russian authorities regret the loss of life but claim they have received information of NATO strategic launches and have detected missile plumes from the American Midwest.."_

Santa picked up the flashing North Pole handset. "Curtis, talk to me, buddy!" The young elf was sobbing.

"I-I can't believe this is happening, Scott! We've confirmed missile launches…dozens of warheads crossing within a hundred kilometers of the Pole. Okay, now detonations confirmed over Riga and Kaliningrad!"

"Turn to KYW, Philly news," said Mary Lou quietly but firmly. Her mind was utterly blank.

He did so. They heard a high pitched tone followed by an electronic voice.

" **We interrupt our programming. This is a national emergency. The following message is transmitted at the request of the United States government. This is not a test. A nuclear attack is occurring against the United States. Multiple missile launches have been detected from both the mainland of the Russian Empire and from…"**

A series of bluish-white flashes erupted along the east coast which then faded to reveal luminescent mushroom clouds from Halifax to Boston, down to Norfolk. Mary Lou opened up her mouth to scream.

* * *

I woke up, my heart pounding. I held out my arms in front of me. Claws and fur. I growled and fell back into bed, relieved, staring at the rough cathedral ceiling.

This had been happening a lot over the past few years. There had been nightmares similar to this – a return to human form, then a return to a world where it wouldn't matter.

Ernst had warned me that the office grows on you…

Since I no longer had to wake up knowing that the next day was just the barest fraction of a five-hundred year term but merely a twentieth of the time, I had been able to more closely focus on making Krampus an actual and viable career.

With Ernst's assistance and my own practical experience, I was able to complete doctoral programs in education and philosophy, and, just for the fun of it, a masters degree in aviation from Embry-Riddle over the course of just a few years.

 _Doctor_ Krampus, if you please...

Naturally, this formal education made me more effective in educating my charges and in disciplining them. I'm sure it's no surprise though that Danik was my first but by no means the only small child that fell in to my hands responsible for heinous crimes. Some did well and prospered following my period of correction, some failed terribly.

Danik was happily one of the former. I had kept him isolated, away from the others, and the boy's suffering quickly progressed from physical to mental anguish. As his body – only spirit, to be sure, but he didn't know that – deteriorated from a human figure into a handless waterlogged skeleton covered in aquatic plant life, the nerve endings, such as they were, deteriorated as well.

And there he remained in his cell. No food was necessary for him to remain alive, but small portions were brought to help him mark the slow passage of days. My intention was to punish him for his crimes, and rendering him insane would be counterproductive. After a few years, I took to reading to him in order to keep his mind occupied, an activity I found relaxing as well. Some time later, we were spending more time just talking. Danik had long given up on pleading for his release and restoration, as my response was always the same. He would also ask about me, and I would always tell him the mythology. It took him a while to make the connection.

"You say the Krampus is…but wait…you're a woman!" he said in a gurgling rasp of a voice. I couldn't help laughing at that

"You're not to know the details on that, Danik, but yes. Suffice it to say that I am a woman, and the Krampus hasn't always been me."

* * *

November through Christmas was always the worst, as that was the time when I had to set aside my 'gentle though beastly-looking teacher' persona and become the monster.

I wish I could say that it was merely good method acting. But I can't, not after that first _Krampusnacht_ following my physical transformation. I guess the powers that be saw fit to let the Krampus relax for that first time. The next year and the years following, though, I understood first hand why Krampus bears the nickname _Christmas Demon_.

What caused it, I cannot say for certain, but it seems tied to how I regard my appearance. Be assured, I look unsettling at the best of times – and being a monster is not something that can be ignored. Oh yes, I see and feel everything – and it depresses me even though I know it should not.

In any case, I become more fearsome in appearance in the last month of the year, which hardly helps my mood…and which I suppose makes me more effective. But I don't have to like it…even if the day after Christmas makes it seem all worth it – for a little while at least. To say that releasing my captives is… "rewarding" only captures the barest essence, a child saved, perhaps a soul redeemed. A grateful embrace.

December 26, 2027. The tenth anniversary of my first – or rather my second – Boxing Day as Krampus. I just hadn't gotten my "uniform" the first time around.

"Merry Christmas, Krampus?"

"A happy Boxing Day, Danik."

"I get to go home today, right?"

"You sure do," I said with all the warmth I could muster. "For a time at least." He didn't ask about that, and I didn't expand on it. I simply placed my paws on his head and let the restorative magic do its work.

I took the same general route that I had taken every year, and we were soon landing at Danik's home in Belarus – just three weeks from the date that I took him.

I brought his spirit, fully restored to the boy's delight, into his own bedroom where he saw his form there, sleeping calmly.

"Is that you," I asked, anticipating the question I had been getting a dozen times or more every Boxing Day. "Of course it is. It was only your spiritual form that I took with you. And now, before I join your soul back with your body, I must give you an instruction that you must obey, lest I return very angry in less than a year's time. Are you ready?

"Y-yes."

"You won't like it."

"Kinda figured."

I smiled ruefully. "Danik, you need to tell the truth of what you did. It's now the day after Christmas, 2017, and Julija's body needs to be recovered and put to rest properly."

He hung his head. "That's what I thought," he whispered.

I wrapped my tail around his waist and lifted up his chin to look him in the eyes. "I know you're terrified. You should be. But the justice I provide can't replace the debt you owe society. I took him gently by his shoulders. "You can do this."

He choked back a sob, and then threw his arms around me. After a minute or two, he was whole, back where he belonged.

I learned later that Danik Marchenko indeed confessed to his crime and was eventually sentenced to twenty-five years for the murder of Julija Sadouskija, but this sentence was later commuted and he was released in 2029. As of this writing, he is a construction worker in Minsk.

My life as Krampus continued on. Things changed as time passed - obviously. Todd graduated from college, married and began his career as a public accountant. I felt not just a little bit of envy at that. Not professionally, mind you. I love math, but there was not enough money in the world that could get me to become a CPA. Maybe it was just me getting older and more mature, but I often found myself thinking about having a husband, getting pregnant, having children. Lots of warm fuzzies there…for a moment.

Then I'd remember.

Matthew went on to marry someone with fewer mythological obligations and became a systems administrator in Denver with two sons. His little brother took a similar path but ended up teaching coding at a Philadelphia junior college.

Mom and Daddy continued on with their lives, fending off questions about what had become of their daughter. At least they weren't lying when they said that I had moved up North permanently, earnestly seeking a cure for my bodily ailment.

My body. I loved it and I hated it. I loved the glacial pace of aging and the immunity to all forms of illness and disease and that any injuries sustained would heal practically immediately. And while having a tail and a fur coat is humiliating, the feeling they provide is amazing – my layered fur provides perfect climate control and the tail offers increased balance while acting as a third arm. It's the same with my horns: abject humiliation on one hand, **immense** pleasure on the other (although having them when you're in bed is like sleeping with a two-foot long and wide neck brace). So there are advantages.

Claws, I can do without claws. To be sure, they are great at intimidating, but that only comes to play on _Krampusnacht_ , if then and I can count on one of them the number of times I've used them the rest of the year. Other than that, they are merely a source of frustration.

Fangs are similar; not really useful, they just make me look like an animal. They really don't work with spaghetti, let me tell you…

I hate my mismatched feet, one a hoof, the other the paw of a beast. They make walking awkward, and when I run, I have to do so on all fours, so you can imagine what _that_ does to my ego.

After years of being Krampus, I still can't stave off the revulsion I feel when I see my reflection or shadow. Though I was rather fond of the way my voice had changed originally – deep yet still feminine – over the years it has gotten more animalistic, and I sound like a beast when I'm not thinking about it, or at best like Brunhilde with a smokers rasp when I am.

And I especially loathe that despite all this, I _love_ doing the job. Oh, I could have resigned on the date Mother Nature had mentioned, December 31st, 2046 but I chose to stay on. Ernst had warned me that the position grows on you, and he was more right than I could have believed. I don't know what magic it is, but makes you want to stay in the position and makes your previous life seem – less than optimal.

Every dream in which I have been in or seen myself in my former state has been a nightmare – while every dream as Krampus is blissful. Fortunately, the dreams as Krampus predominate. And it must be said that the outside world looks less and less appealing as the years wear on. The nuclear war scenario had nearly become a reality several times already.

Even so, as the years went by, I knew it was time to move on to a somewhat more conventional life.

* * *

"So," I said. "You can see why I am more than a little reluctant to delay my resignation for yet another year."

I just wished I could have been more effective. Despite our best efforts, and the Iron Stronghold bulging at the seams, the behavior of children continued to decline. Everyone involved or that had been involved assured me that it was not my fault but the fault of the world as a whole. And I could certainly see this reflected in the world situation. There had not been a massive world war, thankfully, but there had been a steady upswing in terrorist attacks and small military skirmishes – including within Canada and the US

Scott sighed. He was well into his eighties now, but he didn't seem that way. He loved the job, and I think he would do it forever if that was an option to him. But it was the retirement of Bernard that he was concerned about. He said that it would be too difficult to keep things running while training Bernard's replacement and also training a new Krampus, and since Bernard had the benefit of seniority not to mention being the first to request retirement…my resignation request had resulted in this meeting.

"Mary Lou, I know you've been through a lot. I felt the same way when I lost my father. But all I ask for is one more year."

Yeah. That was "one more year" he had asked for last year, and that was enough time for my father to develop prostate cancer, a cancer that was inoperable and very fast-moving. Perhaps a mercy, but it didn't do much for my mood to see his funeral through mp4.

In order to preserve the Secret, I had been forbidden from meeting my niece and nephew. Todd had been expressly forbidden from revealing my existence to them or his wife. My brother and I stayed in touch, but we could only meet once or twice a year for two or three days at a time.

And the thing is; I really can't say no to Santa or Mother Nature. I know Santa called Ernst to come bat for me in the hearing. And I know Mother Nature had been under no obligation to reduce my term in office. And I also know that I was going to say 'yes' to serving one more year as the beast.

"All right," I said. "I will agree to serve just one more year from today, and end my term on December 31st of next year. Do I have your word that you will respect my wishes?"

"I promise, Mary Lou," said Santa. "You will be allowed to retire on the last day of next year."

"You have my promise as well," agreed Mother Nature.

We shook hands on the deal and they departed the Iron Stronghold. I sighed, and my tail gave me a comforting squeeze.

One more year and a few months? I could handle it.

* * *

Since I had already spent well over thirty years as Krampus, I saw no reason to think that I couldn't manage another one or two.

What I hadn't foreseen was the swift and sudden deterioration of world affairs in within just a few short months. South Asia and the Middle East were most seriously affected, but international relations on the whole declined precipitously. Lahore and Mumbai were both destroyed as India and Pakistan slipped over the line into nuclear war. It was a thankfully "limited" exchange that terrified both nations and the rest of the world. The five missiles killed forty-one million people within a handful of hours. Many more would die from fallout in the weeks and months to follow.

Nearly all would suffer as from the devastation it would wreak on the world's economy.

I had not foreseen the development of an alliance between Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Turkey. And I had not foreseen the alliance they had formed with Israel after Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, this time backed by nuclear-armed Iran and Pakistan, attempted to destroy the state "once and for all." An attack that was stopped cold.

A seven-year peace treaty between Israel and the Islamic world that amazed all.

I had not foreseen that Father Time had indeed been correct in his initial observation of what the End of the Age might entail and how it might affect us Legendaries. And yet he had no idea how overwhelming and total our ensuing transformations would be.

The truth that was driven home is that there is a significant difference between 'holding the office' or 'wearing the mantle' of a legendary figure and truly _being_ that legendary figure.

And, one might think, I could have hated Scott Calvin for that.

But I don't. My form and destiny – for the next millennium anyway – is set. My anger is reserved for others…and my just wrath is terrible.

I was once merely Mary Lou Dobbins, a high school student who wound up taking and serving the office of Krampus. I was once merely Ernst Müller, whose wisdom, knowledge, and experience I draw upon daily and gratefully. But now Mary Lou, though I do love her – she remains a crucial aspect of me, is merely the person that I had been and will be.

I **am** Krampus.

=THE BEGINNING=

* * *

 _ **Author's Note** \- And this completes the tale. Thank you for reading. And Merry Christmas_.


End file.
